


Unexpectedly Expecting

by GoneSoWrong



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: A little bit angsty at times, Alpha!Cisco, Alpha!Len, Alpha!Oliver, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Cisco is a good bro, Explicit Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Knotting, Leonard & Lisa Snart Sibling Feels, Lewis Snart's A+ Parenting, M/M, Miscarriage Scare, Mpreg, Omega Verse, Omega!Barry, Panic Attacks, Protective Leonard Snart, Protective Oliver Queen, Shameless Smut, Team as Family, The Author Regrets Nothing, The Rogues (DCU) As Family, Unplanned Pregnancy, West-Allen Family Feels
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-05-14 11:04:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 54,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14768366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoneSoWrong/pseuds/GoneSoWrong
Summary: Barry's heat comes with certain side-effects, leading him to sleep with not one, but three Alphas. Now he has to struggle with the consequences of those decisions. Can he handle not being the Flash, his overprotective friends and family, and the thief who may have stolen his heart?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: DC owns these characters. I'm just borrowing them, so don't sue me, I have nothing of value. 
> 
> First off, this is the first Fic I'm posting, so please be kind. Constructive criticism is appreciated, just please be respectful.  
> So, a few notes to start. I'm not working with a definite timeline here, sometime after Len killed his father. Wellsobard happened, Zoom and Savitar did not. And since I have still not forgiven Legends for what they did to my poor Len, Legends didn't happen either. Everything pretty much diverges from the end of season one of the Flash, although in this Fic, Cisco and Caitlin have both had their powers from the start. But Caitlin's not evil when she uses them. Eddie and Ronnie are both still alive, no Singularity, however you want to imagine that was accomplished, cause I probably won't be expanding on that in this Fic.
> 
> Now this first chapter is going to have a little backstory but for the most part it's just straight up delicious smut. All three 'encounters' Barry has are in this chapter, they are as follows: Barry/Cisco, Barry/Len, and Barry/Oliver, in that order, so if there is a pairing you don't want to read you can skip it. There is a scene break between each one.  
> Second, this chapter is a MONSTER, with a little over 10,000 words. Sorry, not sorry. I just couldn't bring myself to split it up because all of this really needed to be in this first chapter. I could have cut some of the smut, but come now, that's the best part.  
> And lastly, I debated long and hard about whether to add a dubcon tag, but ultimately decided it wasn't needed, if you feel it should be there let me know. I guess consider this a warning to proceed with caution.  
> Now I don't want to give away too much, so there are certain things I'll save explaining for the End Notes. Hope you enjoy and I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Barry was a nervous-fucking-wreck as he paced the small confines of the bathroom in his apartment. Two minutes to a speedster felt like an eternity when all he could do was wait.

  
In frustration he slammed both of his hands down on the counter surrounding the sink and gripped the edges till his knuckles turned white and then looked at himself in the mirror. “Barry Allen, you are a monumental fucking idiot.” He told his reflection, his voice full of venom.

  
He looked as terrible as felt, _great_. Thank god he’d texted Iris and cancelled their plans to hang out tonight, she’d take one look at him and know something was wrong and then she would badger him until he finally broke down and told her. And he just wasn’t ready for that.

  
But would he ever be? How could he ever explain how he’d gotten into this situation when he couldn’t even accept it himself yet? “Idiot.” He said to his reflection again and over the circumstances leading to this moment for the millionth time today.

-5 weeks ago-

Barry was dying. Okay that was overly dramatic, he wasn’t actually dying, it just felt like it and right now he kinda wished he would die, just so all of this would stop. Barry was an Omega in heat, which hadn’t ever been much of a problem, at least not until the Particle Accelerator had exploded. His heat had never really bothered him before, it was a part of his biology and was only a minor inconvenience.

  
He took Omega birth control pills which lessened most of his issues that accompanied his heat, but he stayed away from the suppressants that all came with severe side-effects. And he could handle being a little extra horny one week every month, which was the only thing the pills didn’t help with.

  
And then the Accelerator had blown and he’d been struck by lightning and been in a coma for nine…fucking…months, and then he’d woken up with goddamn superpowers. Which was really great most of the time. He got to run inhumanly fast, protect people and save lives as opposed to just helping to put away the bad guys after the fact. It fulfilled him in a way that nothing else ever had.

  
But like everything else in life there was always a downside or two. The first drawback he’d discovered was his now superfast metabolism. It had sucked at first, but they’d worked it out, he ate a lot more and Cisco had managed to finally make a high calorie energy bar that didn’t taste like cardboard. All in all, it wasn’t much of a problem these days.

  
The second drawback was currently what had become the bane of his existence. Unsurprisingly being a Metahuman had changed his physiology.

  
When he had first woken from the coma and discovered he had superpowers he’d spent a few months figuring things out, his mind totally preoccupied with all the things that needed his attention, too preoccupied to notice that he hadn’t gone into heat since he’d woken up. When he did notice he brought it up to Caitlin, who had run a battery of tests to determine why. There was nothing obvious to explain it and her best guess was that the Speed Force was somehow naturally suppressing it. She had told him that due to whatever was causing it he probably wouldn’t ever be able to have children, which had saddened him of course.

  
He always figured he’d eventually settle down and have a family but maybe that just wasn’t in the cards for him. He’d dealt with the disappointment, grieved for the lost possibility, and moved on.

  
A few more months passed and then it had hit, much worse than any heat he’d ever had. It was like his body had decided that since he hadn’t gone through a heat in months he had to go through everything he’d missed all in one go. It was miserable and painful and frustrating and he’d been almost completely useless that entire week. Caitlin had run more tests and come up just as empty on an explanation. Though she said it was still highly unlikely that he’d ever be able to get pregnant.

  
It had become his new normal, he’d go months without having a heat and then he’d spend a week suffering through the worst heat imaginable. A few times during the last few years he’d been in a relationship when his heat would hit and he’d discovered that taking an Alpha’s knot would take the edge off and he could function almost like normal.

  
But having a superhero alter-ego and being in a relationship for more than a couple of months seemed to be impossible. So, the times when he was single he just suffered through the heat as best he could, there was another option but he couldn’t see himself going out and finding some random Alpha to knot him, no matter how much the thought might appeal to him in a moment of weakness.

  
So here he was, curled up in a blanket on his bed like a pathetic little ball of pain and horniness, fortunately not needing to go anywhere. When the problem had first presented he’d had to talk to his boss, not a comfortable conversation, and explain that the lightning or the coma had fucked him up somehow and he could barely function during his heat. Singh had been understanding and now all he had to do was call in and get the time off, which was nice, but it had still been one of the more mortifying, if not downright traumatic, experiences of Barry’s life.

  
So, when he felt the signs of his heat coming on this morning he’d called in at work and then texted Cisco and Caitlin to let them know they’d have to keep the city safe without him. They both had powers and had spent enough time backing him up that he wasn’t worried about them doing it on their own, even though they both preferred to be more behind the scenes and operate in more of a support capacity.

 

But whenever he was incapacitated they would step up and do what needed to be done. Now he just needed to survive this week.

 

He’d been excessively horny all day and had masturbated several times to try to take the edge off but the effects never lasted that long. And no matter what toys he used they never had the same effect as an honest-to-god knot had so half the time he didn’t even bother using them.

  
Then once the pain hit he lost all desire to try anything. It felt like his insides were on fire and at the same time going through a meat grinder and his whole body ached like Grodd had used him as a punching bag. He was feverish and sweaty but at the same time he felt like he was freezing and he couldn’t help whimpering every time he moved even slightly.

  
He was miserable.

  
He was so wrapped up in his misery in fact that he didn’t even notice the sound of someone knocking on his door and then walking through his apartment and then Cisco was suddenly in front of him.

  
“Hey man, I wasn’t sure if you were awake.” The other man said, pushing his long hair back behind his ear. “How you doin’?”

  
Barry briefly considered lying, he hated to make his friends and family worry, though he knew they would anyway. Which is why someone usually came to check on him when he was in heat, generally though it was Iris or Caitlin. Not because they were women but because Iris was an Omega as well, and like his sister, and Caitlin was a Beta and Barry had always been far more attracted to Alpha’s.

  
Ronnie had come to check on him once, and one heat-hazed inappropriate comment had been enough for all of them to unanimously decide that it was better if Barry wasn’t around any Alphas while in heat. And yet Cisco was here, but so far Barry seemed to be in control of himself.

  
“I feel awful.” He croaked weakly.

  
Cisco sat down gingerly on the bed and patted Barry’s shoulder. “I’m sorry buddy, I know this sucks big time for you.”

  
“I just hate this. The pain is bad enough but I absolutely hate feeling like I have no control over myself or what’s happening to me, and the only thing I can think of to make it better is to go fuck some stranger and I’m just not comfortable with that.” He said, sounding both frustrated and exhausted.

  
“What if…it wasn’t…a stranger?” Cisco asked softly and Barry’s brain shut down for a minute.

  
He couldn’t mean what Barry thought he meant…could he? “Cisco, w-what d-do…” He stuttered a little, flustered and unsure if he was misinterpreting.

  
“Just listen Barry.” Cisco interrupted before Barry could even think of any more words to say. “You’re my best friend, and you’re hurting. It would be one thing if it was just the insane horniness, but its actually causing you pain, and I hate to see you suffering, especially when I can help you if you’ll let me.”

  
Throughout his pitch, Cisco’s face and voice had been so open and earnest and Barry had no doubt that he was making a legitimate offer. Barry couldn’t pretend that he’d never had an errant thought about the Alpha before but it had never been more than that, mostly because aside from Iris, Cisco was his best friend and he didn’t want to risk that just for sex.

  
The other man seemed to read his thoughts, or maybe just his expression (Barry really needed to work on that). “Look man, we’re both scientists, we can just approach this like a medical procedure, you need something to make you better, and I can give you what you need.”

  
In the simplest terms that was true, but what he needed was sex, more specifically to be knotted. Could they approach it that way without things getting weird? The more he thought about it the more he thought it might work. He must have been silent for too long while he contemplated because when Cisco spoke again his voice was a lot more hesitant. “Or, I can go, and we can pretend that this conversation never happened.” He said and moved to get up, Barry reached out to stop him, wrapping his hand around the Alpha’s wrist.

  
Cisco looked at him in surprise but didn’t pull away. “Promise me that this wont change anything between us.” Barry whispered, somehow afraid that if he spoke too loudly he’d startle himself back to sanity.

  
Cisco’s face morphed into that expression he got whenever he was going to say something incredibly serious. “I promise you that _nothing_ will ever change things between us.” Looking into his eyes Barry could tell that he meant every word.

  
Slowly and with light pressure Barry tugged Cisco forward and over him and buried his nose in the other man’s neck, inhaling the strong scent of Alpha. Something inside him eased at the contact and he shifted to pull off his blanket cocoon but the movement made pain flair in his abdomen. He whimpered softly and Cisco raised his head in concern. He gently ran a hand through Barry’s hair in a soothing gesture before gently disentangling him from the blanket.

  
Beneath, Barry was naked save for his dark, blue boxer-briefs and he shivered slightly. Cisco helped to ease him to his back and then the Alpha bent down and ran his nose along the scent gland in Barry’s neck, causing his breath to catch. One of Cisco’s hands ran along Barry’s side in a gesture meant to sooth and calm while he gently nipped at the gland.

  
Barry felt a rush of heat flood through his body and pool low in his abdomen. A few more nips and licks across the gland and Barry’s dick was straining against the fabric of his boxers while his hole clenched and unclenched around nothing, already leaking slick.

  
Any other time and it would have taken more to get him this far gone but during his heat he had a hair-trigger and nothing got him there faster than attention to his scent glands. As arousal took hold the pain eased, not gone but subdued, allowing the other sensations to take precedence. He reached to take hold of Cisco’s arms to keep himself grounded as he whimpered and moaned underneath the Alpha.

  
As his hole throbbed he felt his cock swell more and twitch against the fabric and he lifted his hips, seeking friction to ease the ache and rubbed along the length of Cisco’s own very hard dick. They both gasped at the contact and Cisco lifted his head to look down into Barry’s eyes. He was certain his pupils were as blown as the other man’s and he couldn’t help but shiver at the sight. “How do you want to do this?” Cisco asked, his voice raspy and slightly breathless. The sound sent more heat through him and he raised his hips again, seeking more friction.

  
“Behind.” He gasped desperately.

  
Cisco’s weight shifted off of him and he dazedly rolled to his stomach and slowly rose up to his hands and knees. He reached back and pulled his boxers down enough to expose his ass but not so far as to prevent him from spreading his legs. Cold air hit his slicked hole and sent a shiver through his whole body and raised goosebumps along his skin.

  
He felt the bed dip behind him and hands placed on his hips and he had to bite back a whimper of impatience. A few seconds later he felt one of the hands move and then there were gentle fingers probing at his entrance, and this time he couldn’t suppress the needy whimper that escaped.

  
A part of him wanted to just get this over with, he was already so wound up, but as he felt two fingers easily slide inside him he was also grateful for the consideration Cisco was showing him. An Omega’s body naturally prepared itself for taking an Alpha’s knot, the muscles stretching and producing slick but it didn’t happen instantaneously and some Alpha’s didn’t bother checking if their partner was ready.

  
Not that it would have been a problem now, what with how aroused Barry already was. He gasped softly as a third finger was added and he pushed back on them, seeking more, unashamed of just how needy he was at the moment. The fingers stroked along his inner walls, rubbing his prostate and dragging a broken moan from his throat. The delicious sensations sent a jolt through him, straight to his cock, causing it to throb and twitch in time with the fingers thrusting inside of him.

  
A moment later the fingers withdrew entirely and he had to fight the desperate whine that wanted to escape but then the pressure was back, right at the entrance of his body. There was a moment of hesitation before the head of Cisco’s cock finally began to push through the tight ring of muscle. Despite his body’s natural chemistry and the prep, it was still a tight fit.

  
The stretch as Cisco’s cock slid inside of him was everything Barry needed at that moment, and then the other man’s hip bones were flush with his ass, buried as deep as he could go and both men groaned.

  
He could feel the fabric of Cisco’s pants against the back of his thighs and the hem of his shirt brush against the top of his ass. For some reason the idea of being almost completely naked while the other man was fully clothed, aside from the hard cock fucking into him, was insanely hot and he stopped trying to hold back his whimpers and moans.

  
There were no whispered words or loving touches as the other man began to thrust in and out of him, there was no need for them, that’s not what this was about. In a way it took the pressure off, he could relax and enjoy this. Now there was another kind of pressure building, swelling as the Alpha’s cock thrusted harder and faster into his ass. He moaned at the divine slide of the other man inside him and he pushed back seeking more. The movement sent Cisco in deeper, so impossibly deep, and they both gasped. He moaned loudly as the speed of the thrusts picked up and he knew he wasn’t going to last much longer.

  
Without breaking the contact between them Barry lowered the front half of his body so he was leaning on his forearms, changing the angle at which the other man thrusted into him, hitting his prostate on every stroke. Groaning uncontrollably now Barry reached for his aching cock and ran his hand over it, gathering some of the precum that was steadily leaking down to the bed beneath.

  
He slid his fisted hand over the length of his cock in time with the punishing thrusts of the cock buried inside him, pleasure spreading throughout his entire body.  
His moans and gasps had grown to an unmanageable level and he gave up entirely on suppressing them. A moment later he heard a low moan and felt the unmistakable swell of an Alpha’s knot forming and he sped up the movement of the hand tugging his cock until it was almost vibrating with speed.

  
A heartbeat later his muscles locked, tensing and shaking, the breath punched out of him, his vision whiting out as his cock erupted over his hand and the sheets beneath him. He was distantly aware of the long drawn out moan from behind him before he felt a flood of warmth inside him and a fully formed knot locking him in place.

  
Something inside him settled, a content lethargy overtaking him as his heartbeat hammered and his lungs fought to take in enough air. He wasn’t sure how long it took before he came back to his senses, his breathing and heartrate slowing back down to normal, but he was laid on his side, Cisco’s knot still buried inside him, keeping them connected. “You okay?” His friend asked softly.

  
Barry half expected to feel some guilt or shame for what he’d just done but all he felt was relaxed and a blessed lack of pain. “I’m good, pain’s gone. Thank you.”  
“Good.” Cisco said, and that was the last they spoke until his knot went down enough to slip from Barry’s body close to thirty minutes later.

  
“I’m gonna take a shower, we can talk when I get done.” He took his time showering, trying to decide how he felt and how this was going to change things and not coming up with anything. He turned the water off and quickly dried off with a towel which he wrapped around his waist before exiting the bathroom.

  
Cisco was no longer in the bedroom and for a moment Barry thought he must have fled until he heard his washing machine start. He looked at the bed and sure enough the sheets had been changed. He shook his head as he crossed to his dresser and pulled out clean clothes, dressing quickly.

  
He found Cisco in the living room, sitting on the couch, looking nervous. “I ordered pizza.” He said in greeting.

  
“You didn’t have to do that or change and wash my sheets.” Barry said, sitting down on the couch a few inches away from the Alpha, running a hand across the back of his neck in a nervous gesture he’d never managed to break.

  
“Yeah well, I wasn’t sure you’d feel up to doing laundry, and I’m hungry so, I figured you must be near starved to death.” It was such a Cisco thing to say that Barry found himself chuckling, his tension easing.

  
“I could eat.” He admitted ruefully.

  
“So, there’s a Stargate Atlantis marathon on today.” Cisco said, grabbing his TV remote and changing the channel. Apparently, they didn’t need to talk as they fell into a familiar pattern of watching Sci-Fi and discussing the science behind it just like nothing had happened.

  
He almost couldn’t believe that nothing had changed between them. “Hey Cisco, thanks man.” He said gratefully.  
Cisco smiled but continued watching the TV. “Anytime dude.”

 

* * * * *

 

Two days later Barry found himself sitting on stool at the bar in a noisy club not sure if he was trying to talk himself into or out of making a really stupid decision. The pain was returning, he could feel it hovering, ready to pounce at any moment, and there was only one way to prevent it.

  
Maybe if he hadn’t had the last two days without pain, if he had just suffered through it from the start he could handle it. But he hadn’t and now he didn’t think he could, mostly because he was afraid it would be worse, what if delaying it made the pain worse or made it last longer? He just…he couldn’t deal with it now. He would suck it up and suffer through the next heat, but he just couldn’t do it this time, especially not after what had happened with Cisco.

  
He didn’t regret what happened, because miraculously nothing had changed between them and he knew that if he called and told Cisco that the pain was returning the other man would help him without hesitation, but just because things hadn’t changed between them this time didn’t mean they couldn’t. Not to mention, that now that he was thinking mostly clearly, he didn’t want to use his friend like that, whether Cisco was okay with it or not.

  
Which is why he was in the club, he could use a stranger just this once, because, well…they’d be using him too. And this way at least he wouldn’t have to worry about anybody’s emotions getting involved of confused.

  
Unfortunately, he couldn’t see himself going home with any of the Alphas that had approached him, he didn’t know why, but something had just felt wrong about all of them. He had just about decided to head home alone to wallow in pain and misery when he felt a presence at his left side.

  
“Well, well, well. Fancy running into you here Scarlet.”

  
He’d recognize that exaggerated drawl anywhere. _Just what he needed_ , he thought, closing his eyes and sighing deeply, he really didn’t have the energy to deal with this tonight. “What do want Snart?” He asked, opening his eyes and turning to look at the man beside him, meeting clear blue eyes and the thief’s signature smirk.

  
“Now, now Barry, no need to be rude.” The older man said, taking a swig of the beer in his hand. “Family bonding night. Which is code for: Lisa dragged all of the Rogues out and now we’ll all drink too much while trying to ignore that the others exist.” Barry felt that he probably should care that the rest of the Rogues were somewhere in the club but he figured if they were all here drinking at least they weren’t out thieving.

  
“Better question Barry, what do you want?” The way Snart exaggerated his name felt so startlingly intimate that it caused Barry’s gut to clench and his face to heat up.

  
“W-what do you m-mean?” He stuttered out, hoping the ground would open up and swallow him.

  
“Well,” the thief drawled, smirk growing, “you’ve been sitting here for over an hour nursing that drink, so you obviously didn’t come here for the liquor.” He said, sounding a little patronizing. “And you’ve shot down four perfectly acceptable looking Alpha’s, so you’re apparently not here for the company either.”

  
Barry knew he should probably be worried that his sort-of-nemesis had been watching him closely enough to note how many people had hit on him and that he hadn’t gotten a single refill, but for some reason he just felt weirdly pleased. Damn hormones. “I did come for the company actually, just didn’t find anything that caught my interest.” And damn it, why on Earth-1 would he confide that to Snart of all people?

  
“So, you’re just incredibly picky hmm, and nobody’s measured up to exacting standards?” The thief asked teasingly.

  
It sounded bad when he said it like that. “It’s not like that.” Barry said, sounding more defensive than he had intended. Snart just raised an eyebrow, waiting. So without thinking about why he shouldn’t, Barry explained why he was here, telling Snart about the pain that accompanied his heat and the only means he had of easing it. Throughout his explanation he blushed and stammered and avoided looking at the other man.

  
He wasn’t sure what he expected when he finally looked back at Snart but it wasn’t the cold anger he saw in the man’s eyes. “So you came out to a club while in heat to get some stranger to knot you when at any moment you could become incapacitated by crippling pain, are you insane?” He growled incredulously. “Superpowers or not I can think of dozens of ways you could end up hurt doing something so stupid.”

  
Barry was somewhat startled by Snart’s outburst, mostly because he actually sounded like he cared, which sent a pleasant warmth through his chest. He had to remind himself that he was talking to Captain Cold and he shouldn’t feel anything but suspicious. But he hadn’t been wrong about how stupidly dangerous this could be. Barry ducked his head, completely chastened.

  
“I know.” He whispered miserably. “I know it was a stupid idea, but you have no idea just how bad this is for me.” He felt the other man shift beside him and let out a deep sigh.

  
“Alright. Come on.” The thief said, setting his drink down on the bar.

  
Barry turned swiftly to look at him. “W-what?” He stammered, eyes wide as he looked at the criminal.

  
“Not gonna let you suffer kid, but at least if you come home with me you can change your mind at any time, if you decide you want to stop then we’ll stop.” He said, laying his hand on Barry’s thigh tentatively.

  
Barry would like to say that he had thought about it, but he knew deep down that he wouldn’t be able to turn down Snart’s offer. He’d spent too long fantasizing about the cocky thief to walk away now. He took a breath and placed his hand over the one rubbing soothing circles on his thigh. “Alright.” He said softly, locking eyes with other man.

  
Snart looked slightly surprised but pleased as he stood, taking Barry’s hand and pulling him to his feet and then silently leading him through the club and out the door, still holding his hand. “Should you maybe let your sister know you’re leaving?” He asked, fighting a blush as Snart pulled him along toward an alley beside the club.

  
“Mick saw us leaving, he’ll let her know.” Barry was pretty sure he should feel at least a little emarassed that Heatwave had apparently witnessed them leaving together, but it was hard to care about anything else when his heartbeat was hammering in his chest and his body was heating up in expectation of what was to come.

  
The next moment Snart stopped and pulled him close, hands resting on Barry’s hips. He leaned close to Barry’s neck and he inhaled slowly and whispered an address in his ear, his breath ghosting along the skin and sending a shiver down his spine. Barry didn’t hesitate, flashing away with Snart in a flicker of lightning and rush of wind. A few seconds later he came to a stop outside the small house at the address Snart had provided.

  
Snart unlocked the door and held it open for Barry to precede him inside. Barry thought for certain that Snart had given him the address to a safe-house until he walked inside and got a look around. There was nice furniture, a TV and books and photographs on various shelves throughout the living space. _Had Snart brought him to his actual home?_

  
Before he could voice his question out loud he was pushed back against the now closed door as Snart’s leg pressed between his thighs and both of his hands cradled Barry’s jaw gently before crashing their mouths together.

  
Barry gasped at the sensation of Snart’s lips on his for the first time and the Alpha instantly pressed his advantage, thrusting his tongue in, claiming every inch of Barry’s mouth for his own.

  
Barry didn’t know he could be so utterly affected by just a kiss, pleasure spreading out through his body and pooling low in his abdomen. As their tongues slid together one of Snart’s hands slid down his body to rest possessively at his hip and he broke their kiss to trail a warm path down Barry’s jaw to hover over his erratically beating pulse.

  
“Snart.” He whispered in a broken voice.

  
“When we’re here, like this,” He answered, placing a gentle kiss to Barry’s skin, “you call me Len.” And then he latched onto the delicate skin, sucking what was sure to be an impressive bruise.

  
Barry knew he shouldn’t blur the lines any further than he already had but somehow, with Len’s body pressed against his, the hard column of his thigh keeping his legs spread and his mouth sucking and laving his neck Barry couldn’t summon the will to care. Len bit down gently in the same spot and Barry gasped, tilting his head back further, giving the Alpha easier access. “Len.” He moaned, his dick hardening almost painfully.

  
“That’s it sweetheart.” Len gave a pleased growl and then claimed Barry’s lips again. Barry whimpered, warmth spreading through him at the praise, the sound muffled by Len’s mouth on his. It all felt so good, but he needed more. He rolled his hips slightly, grinding down on the hard thigh between his legs, the friction against his hard dick causing him to gasp and then moan.

  
Len let out a throaty growl and nipped at Barry’s bottom lip, the slight sting making him gasp again and grind down harder. Len’s other hand snaked down to graze his hip before both hands moved back to cup and squeeze his ass, rocking him forward against Len’s thigh. He whimpered, the sound needy and desperate. Len growled again, the sound pleased and then Barry was lifted in one smooth move, his legs instinctively wrapping around the other man’s waist.  
The movement had broken their kiss and Barry opened his eyes only to find them trapped by clear blue ones, pupils blown wide. “Still sure about this?” He asked in a husky whisper. Somehow, he knew even with his obvious arousal that if Barry said no Len would let him go. He didn’t answer in words, wasn’t sure he could even find his voice, instead he leaned down and captured the thief’s lips in another passionate kiss. He felt the twitch of Len’s hard cock along his ass and he moaned again, impatient to feel the other man inside him.

  
Len must have understood because a second later they were moving and he felt a thrill go through him at the idea of being carried and how easy it was for the Alpha who wasn’t even out of breath by the time he was laying Barry down on his bed. Len pulled back slightly and Barry tightend his legs, trapping the Alpha so he couldn’t move too far, hearing the Alpha chuckle. “You know I’m going to have to move to get these clothes off, right?” He asked, placing a kiss into Barry’s collar bone, sounding highly amused.

  
Barry sighed, sounding aggrieved, but he unwrapped his legs, letting the Alpha move back. Len smiled, leaning closer and capturing Barry’s lips in a hard, quick kiss, running his hands down Barry’s sides and up under his shirt, mapping the ridges of his abs and then gently ghosting across his nipples causing the younger man to gasp and shiver. He played for a few moments, tweaking and rubbing until the small nubs hardened from his attention, before lifting him and pulling his shirt over his head.

  
He laid Barry back down against the mattress, taking in the sight of his exposed flesh appreciatively before leaning down and running his tongue across one of Barry’s nipples. He arched and let out another pleased gasp, feeling pleasure jolt through him and heighten his arousal. His brain shut down as Len first lathed and then sucked on the sensitive flesh, causing him to shiver and moan and arch his back, his hard cock brushing against Len’s own hard length as he lifted.  
“Fuck kid.” He growled, placing his hand on Barry’s hip and holding him down before going back to torturing first one nipple then moving to the other. For Barry it felt like an eternity before Len let up on his assault, the sensations were swamping him, drowning him in pleasure.

  
“Len,” he whined, voice sounding wrecked, “please.”

  
The Alpha chuckled but moved to finally pull Barry’s pants down, he wasn’t even sure when they had been unbuttoned, and his red boxers went with them, leaving him fully exposed, his hard cock resting on his stomach, leaking precum. Len looked down at him and Barry had to catch his breath at the hungry gleam in the Alpha’s eyes and then it was like something in the other man snapped and he was finally moving faster.

  
Barry watched as Len pulled his shirt over his head, his muscles flexing with the movement, but before he could examine as closely as he wanted the older man had pulled down his own pants and Barry got his first look at Len’s cock. He swallowed, god the man was gorgeous even there, and so large, at least eight inches long, and unbelievably thick and curving up toward his stomach, a drop of precum gathered at the slit. He licked his lips subconsciously, wanting to wrap his lips around that perfect cock. Len noticed the action and smirked, eyes running the length of Barry’s body as he moved back to the bed, placing a hand on each of Barry’s thighs, spreading them wide and gazing at his exposed hole.

  
Barry felt his face heat up, feeling more on display than he ever had before, knowing he was dripping slick from how aroused he was. Suddenly Len’s hands were under his ass, lifting him and before Barry could guess what he intended Len’s tongue ran a long stripe from his tailbone to his balls. Barry forgot how to breathe for a few seconds, the feeling was too good, and then Len’s thumbs spread his cheeks and his tongue was directly over his hole, licking and circling and putting slight pressure but not enough to push inside.

  
“Fuck! Len!” He panted, he’d never felt anything this good before. The Alpha hummed, intensifying his efforts and causing Barry to cry out at the powerful sensations. He was pretty sure he screamed when Len’s tongue finally breached the slick ring of muscle, sending a jolt of pleasure through him.

  
“Hhm, do you have any idea how good you taste Scarlet, your sweet little hole leaking slick for me?” The growl in Len’s voice as well as the words made Barry’s dick twitch and his hole clench.

  
“God, Len…please.” He nearly sobbed, needing the Alpha inside him already.

  
With a final lick Len let his body back down and then maneuvered him so he was laid out in the middle of the bed and kissed him once more, fiercely. Barry could taste the sweet hint of his slick on Len’s tongue and he moaned into the kiss, and then Len was spreading his thighs again, settling between them, and his fingers reached down, two of them sliding into him with no resistance, a third quickly added. “So wet and open for me Scarlet.” He whispered, biting down gently on Barry’s collarbone.

  
“Please, please Len…need you inside of me, please.” Barry sobbed, pushing himself back on Len’s fingers, needing more.

  
Len cursed and started to reach for the nightstand next to them but Barry grabbed his wrist making the other man look at him. “Don’t need them.” He panted, still rolling his hips, fucking himself on Len’s fingers. “Want to feel you.”

  
“You sure about that?” The Alpha asked, spreading the fingers inside him, stretching him further.

  
Barry nodded, biting back a cry of pleasure as Len pressed against his prostate. “Flash powers, can’t get diseases or pregnant.” Len looked slightly surprised but nodded, brushing his fingers against Barry’s sweet spot again, Barry arching and moaning Len’s name. “Fuck, Len, just…fuck me please.” He didn’t care that he was begging, just that Len pulled his fingers out of him and was lining himself up with Barry’s hole a second later and then he was pushing in, his cock stretching him more than he’d ever been before. Len took his time, sliding inside slowly, making sure he didn’t hurt Barry.

  
Len gave a few shallow thrusts, allowing Barry’s body to adjust to Len’s cock inside him before snapping his hips forward in one powerful thrust, seating his cock fully inside. Barry cried out, head tipping back exposing the smooth expanse of his throat as Len paused, holding perfectly still for a few seconds. “Goddamn Scarlet, you’re so fucking tight.” He growled, his jaw clenched.

  
Barry moaned as his hole clenched down on Len’s cock, his body stretched to its limits. “Fuck Len…so full…so good.” Barry wasn’t even sure what he was saying at this point, his brain to consumed with pleasure to function. He sucked in a breath as Len pulled out slightly and then slid back, moving slowly, assessing Barry’s response. He continued thrusting slowly but pulled out further each time until he had almost pulled out fully before slamming back in quickly, forcing a throaty cry from Barry on each stoke.

  
He continued that pattern for a while, slowly withdrawing and then just before he slipped free slamming forward powerfully. Barry was chanting a litany of curses and Len’s name between his moans and gasps, feeling like it was all too much and not enough all at once. “Faster Len, please.” He said, trying to meet Len’s thrusts, writhing beneath the Alpha, who was licking and biting his way across Barry’s neck.

  
Len pulled back slightly, looking down at Barry’s pleasure racked face. “Look at me Scarlet.” He ordered, voice husky. Barry obeyed instantly, eyes locking with Len’s, both of them panting, moving together in a steady rhythm. The atmosphere around them changed, becoming charged with something neither could name, and Barry felt his chest tighten.

  
He moved one of the hands he had on Len’s shoulders to cup his jaw tenderly, feeling some emotion he couldn’t identify swell within him. Len gasped in a breath, grabbing Barry’s hand and pinning it to the bed, lacing their fingers together, his other hand sliding from Barry’s hip up the length of his spine to rest between his shoulder blades, rolling his hips as he thrusted deeply into Barry’s hole. They both gasped but neither looked away, eyes locked intensely.

  
Each roll of Len’s hips caressed Barry’s cock where it was trapped between their stomachs, pushing him closer and closer to his climax. He lifted his legs higher around Len’s waist, thighs trembling, and then Len’s cock hit his prostate at just the right angle. “Len!” He cried, throwing his head back but didn’t close his eyes, still locked with the other man’s.

  
Len growled deep in his throat, eyes glowing possessively. “Come for me Barry.” He said, rolling his hips harder, his entire length grazing Barry’s prostate. “Come for me.”

  
Barry screamed Len’s name as his body jerked with the first wave of his climax, an intense vibration running through him as his hole clenched down on Len’s cock sending the other man over the edge into his own climax, their joined hands squeezing tight.

  
“Barry.” He gasped, emptying inside the younger man as his knot swelled and Barry’s hole clamped down on it, locking them together. Neither man had looked away during their mutual release, that being somehow more intimate than anything else they had done. They were both panting, hearts beating frantically, eyes still locked until Len leaned down to capture Barry’s lips in a gentle kiss, far more tender than he would have believed possible before this experience.  
Without saying anything Len gripped Barry’s thighs and slowly rolled them so that they were more or less on their sides, so they’d be more comfortable until his knot went down. He wordlessly pulled the blanket over them, their bodies already cooling down after their exertion. Barry wanted to say something but he wasn’t sure what he could say, this had somehow meant more than it was supposed to, than he was prepared for.

  
He opened his mouth, unsure what was actually gonna come tumbling out, but Len put a finger over his lips. “Shh, just rest for now Scarlet.” He said, placing a kiss on Barry’s temple. He decided there would be time for talking about what just happened later, and he was exhausted, it wouldn’t hurt anything if he just closed his eyes and let his mind wander while he waited for Len’s knot to go down. He felt Len’s fingers running gently through his hair in a soothing caress and a minute later he was falling asleep, wrapped tightly in his Alpha’s arms.

 

* * * * *

 

Barry had woken twice that night feeling his hole leaking slick and his cock once again hard. Both times Len had taken care of him, just as tenderly as he had the first time. He was slow and gentle, taking Barry apart with his soft touches and tender thrusting. Barry wished he could pretend that it was just fucking, but he couldn’t, somehow it had all come to mean more than it should have.

  
He could still feel the intensity of Len’s eyes staring into his, the feel of him thrusting gently into his body, their fingers locked together, all points connecting them together in the most profound way Barry had ever felt. He had always known he felt more for the thief than he should, even when they were far more adversarial than they had been since they made their deal, but this was different, he wasn’t sure what this meant for them and he was afraid to find out, frankly.  
So, when he had woken up in the morning and saw Len’s face, still open and relaxed and he felt the urge to kiss him awake he knew he was in trouble and so he had done what he did best and flashed out of there as quickly as he could. He wanted to pretend that none of it had ever happened, that he had never walked into that club, but he couldn’t. He wanted to blame his hormones, say his heat had made him crazy with lust and he couldn’t help himself but he couldn’t say that either. He had been in complete control of his faculties when he made the decision to go home with Len-Snart he reminded himself stubbornly.

  
He wanted to go back and make a different decision, because now he was left feeling too much and trying to cope with those feelings. It was distracting him, and if he wasn’t careful that distraction was going to get him killed. As it almost had tonight.

  
It was three days later; the pain hadn’t come back after his encounter with L- _Snart_ and he wasn’t sure if the horniness he was feeling was from his heat or the fact that he couldn’t get the memories of that night out of his head. He’d been hiding in his apartment for the last two days, trying to forget, when he’d gotten a call from Felicity. There was a Metahuman wreaking havoc in Starling and she thought Oliver could use an assist.

  
Said Alpha was not thrilled when he had shown up, insisting that he had it handled but Barry thought that maybe if he put some distance between him and Central he could clear his head. It hadn’t worked out that way, he’d been distracted and nearly gotten himself killed but at least he had distracted the Meta enough that Oliver was able to take her down. Didn’t stop the Alpha from yelling at him though.

  
Hearing him yelling and lecturing Barry over the comms, Felicity had decided to go home for the night and Diggle had opted to spend time with his family when Barry had shown up so the Arrow Cave was empty by the time they got back.

  
“I don’t understand why you were so unfocused out there.” Oliver said as he checked an almost healed gash across Barry’s chest. He was sitting on one of the tables, the top half of his suit removed and Oliver was running fingers along the angry red mark.

  
“I’m sorry Ollie, I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.” He nearly whispered, eyes staring at the ground.

  
“Well, next time you need to make sure you get your head in the game before you go out there, you almost got yourself killed.” The vigilante growled. Barry nodded, eyes still downcast, hating that he had disappointed the other man. Suddenly, strong fingers had gripped his chin and raised it and Oliver was searching his eyes, Barry wasn’t sure what he might find there. “You need to be more careful Barry,” he said gently, “I care about you and I don’t want to see you hurt.”  
He swallowed and nodded, he knew that Oliver cared about him, that he wouldn’t be nearly as upset if he didn’t. he had the wild thought that he should have come to Oliver all those days ago instead of going to that club and going home with Snart.

  
And what a stupid idea that was, Oliver was way out of Barry’s league, the man could have anyone he wanted, he could do much better than Barry, with his habit of making stupid, reckless decisions. “What’s going through that head of yours?” Oliver asked, still looking at Barry’s face and apparently finding some look that made him worry.

  
“It doesn’t matter Ollie.” He said pulling his chin out of Oliver’s chin and moving to get down off the table.

  
“Barry.” He said, sounding both concerned and exasperated. “If its bothering you then it matters.” He placed a strong hand on Barry’s shoulder, no doubt anticipating that he might try to flash away. Barry looked back at him and then in the next instant he had crashed their lips together. Oliver didn’t move for a moment, probably frozen in shock, before he tentatively kissed back. Barry moaned as Oliver’s mouth opened and their tongues slid together.

  
His hands slid up the other man’s torso, fisting in the fabric of his suit and he felt Oliver’s hands at his sides, resting lightly on his waist. Barry’s head was spinning from lack of oxygen by the time he broke the kiss, resting his forehead against Oliver’s as he heaved in air. “Barry?” He was gratified to hear that the vigilante was slightly breathless as well.

  
“Please Ollie, I just want to forget,” he pleaded desperately, “please, make me forget.” He looked up at Oliver’s face, seeing the confusion and concern and then some emotion he couldn’t name and then Oliver was kissing him again, cupping the side of his neck and pushing him back against the table, tongue thrusting into his mouth aggressively, taking and claiming.

  
Barry shivered, arousal coursing through him. Oliver pulled his lips away, looking Barry in the eye. “You sure?” He asked, voice barely more than a growl.  
Barry resisted the urge to roll his eyes and instead grabbed Oliver’s waist and pulled him closer, rolling his hips, sliding his erection against Oliver’s own. “Yes, I’m sure.” He gasped, rolling his hips again, trying to get as much friction as possible. Oliver growled again as he dove in for another feverish kiss, nipping Barry’s bottom lip sharply.

  
Barry moaned sliding his hands down Oliver’s body, resting one on his hip and rubbing the other against the outline of Oliver’s hardening cock, eliciting a deep growl. The next thing he knew Oliver was opening his pants and dragging them down his legs, pulling them from his body roughly and sending a shock of hot arousal straight to his cock. This was what he needed, he needed to be claimed and not think about anything else.

  
As the thought passed through his mind he was lifted and Oliver sat him back down on the table, the cold surface causing him to gasp, Oliver smirked as pulled his pants and boots off, the red material ending up somewhere on the floor with his top. He flushed as Oliver took in the sight of him completely naked, cock hard and swollen, leaking already, and god, slick dripping from his hole onto the metal surface beneath him.

  
His eyes went half lidded as Oliver removed the top half of his own suit and threw it to the ground, it took a little longer for him to remove his boots but then he was stripping off his pants as well, and Barry’s eyes devoured every inch of revealed skin. Oliver fisted his hand over his own cock and gave a few slow strokes, eyes taking in every inch of Barry’s naked form. Barry felt himself flush from the perusal, but that didn’t stop him from placing his feet on the table and spreading his legs, lifting his hips slightly so Oliver could see the slick leaking from his hole.

  
“Fuck, Barr.” Oliver growled, pupils blown wide from Barry’s blatant display, cock rock hard and twitching. He didn’t waste any time after that, grabbing Barry’s hips and pulling him to the edge of the table and kissing him voraciously. Barry’s legs spread wider, making space for Oliver in between, and as Oliver practically devoured his mouth the Alpha’s hand slid down brushing against Barry’s cock, making him gasp breaking the kiss and tossing his head back. He placed one hand behind him on the table to keep his balance and gripped Oliver’s shoulder with the other as the Alpha’s hand continued down, a finger tracing his slicked hole.  
Barry expected the finger to enter him, he wasn’t prepared for three to push inside him at once. He dropped his head back, groaning at the exquisite feel of being stretched completely so suddenly. Oliver pumped his fingers in and out of Barry’s hole a few times, drawing breathy moans and gasps from the younger man before pulling them out and replacing them with his cock in less time than Barry could even register the emptiness. Oliver slammed forward, seating himself to the hilt and immediately starting a fast and punishing rhythm. The sound of skin slapping against skin was punctuated by Barry’s wild cries of pleasure.

  
The feel of Oliver pounding into him with no mercy was as close to ecstasy as Barry could imagine, his thick cock sliding in and out of him, stretching his tight muscles, impaling him on the hard length, it was everything Barry needed. “Ollie, fuck…harder. Fuck me harder.” He moaned, his voice sounding wrecked even to his own ears.

  
“Fuck Barr.” He growled, increasing the power of his thrusts, slamming into the younger man almost brutally. Barry was almost sobbing from the sweet ecstasy of it, moving his hips in time with Oliver’s thrusts, hoping to get him deeper, harder. Barry’s mind was clouded in a haze of lust and pleasure and he was vaguely aware that he was saying things but he had no idea what was coming out of his mouth at this point, only aware that he was getting louder and louder the longer Oliver was fucking him.

  
He could feel the bite of Oliver’s fingertips digging into his hipbones and he reveled in the little bit of pain, he’d definitely have bruises for a few hours before his healing would remove all evidence of their wild coupling.

  
He felt his cock swelling, he was so close, but before he could move his hand to stroke himself to completion Oliver moved his hands under Barry’s ass and lifted him up off the table. He reached his other hand to grab Oliver’s shoulder and wrapped his legs around the Alpha’s hips, Oliver smirked at him and then lifted Barry gently before slamming him back down on his cock. And fuck, if that wasn’t the hottest fucking thing ever.

  
It didn’t take long before Oliver had picked up a fast rhythm that had Barry bouncing up and down on his cock and crying out with every thrust. “Fuck, Ollie.” He sobbed as a particularly hard thrust hit his prostate head on. “So close.” Oliver’s thrusts increased, fucking Barry up and down on his cock faster and harder.

  
“Come on Barr. Come for me. Want to feel your tight little hole squeeze my cock while you come.” Oliver’s words sent him over the edge, his cock erupting with thick ropes of come while his vision whited out, whole body shuddering as his hole clenched in time with the shots. Oliver continued, fucking him through his orgasm before stilling, emptying his cock inside him, pulsing against the oversensitive walls, his knot swelling and locking them together.

  
Barry wasn’t sure how long before he came back to reality, but they had somehow sunk to the floor, Barry’s head laying on Oliver’s chest, listening to his heart beat erratically, one of Oliver’s hands rested on his hip while the other ran up and down his spine in a soothing caress.

  
They stayed like that in silence for several minutes until their heartrates slowed and their breathing was back to normal. “Are you okay?” Oliver asked, concern clear in his voice.

  
“Yeah, yeah I’m fine.” Barry said, not lifting his head from Oliver’s chest. “Sorry, I…I shouldn’t, um…I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you like that.” He said, feeling guilty for using Oliver to run from his problems.

  
“Hey,” he said, tilting Barry’s head up to look into his eyes, “you didn’t take advantage of me. I don’t know what’s going on with you, and you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want, but if this was what you needed from me to feel better then I’m happy to help.” The older man said gently. “I didn’t do anything I didn’t want to do; didn’t do anything I regret.”

  
Barry could hear the question in Oliver’s voice, wanting to make sure that Barry felt the same. “Okay, me too. This probably wasn’t the best way to handle my problem but it’s not like I didn’t want this, I don’t regret it either.” He answered, hoping to reassure his friend that he hadn’t done anything wrong. “Thank you.”  
Oliver nodded, leaning up slightly to place a kiss on Barry’s forehead. “Do you want to talk about what brought this on?” He asked gently.

  
“I did something stupid, let myself get involved when I shouldn’t have and I guess this was my way of trying to run away from it.” He knew now that it had been a stupid idea, he’d been able to forget in the moment sure, but he remembered now and he still felt guilty for using Oliver like that.

  
Oliver just nodded, continuing to rub circles into the skin of Barry’s back. They didn’t talk anymore until Oliver’s knot went down and slipped from his hole, and then they dressed and pretended like the last hour had never happened. They talked about other things for a little while before saying goodbye and then Barry flashed himself back to Central, intent to put this week from his memory and move on.

 

-This morning-

Barry had put the events of the previous month as far from his mind as he could, he had tried to erase all memory of that week but even if he had gotten good at not thinking about any of it during the day he couldn’t prevent himself from dreaming. Every night his dreams were filled with blue eyes and tender touches and it left him with an ache in not just his groin but his chest too.

  
He’d been more tired recently as a result, and moodier than he should be, one minute he was snapping at his friends and the next he felt like he wanted to cry and he really needed to get a grip. So, he had feelings for Captain Cold, so what? It would never work between them for a million different reasons so he needed to get over it.

  
With that thought in mind he had gone to work, actually on time for a change and was almost immediately called to a crime scene with Joe and Eddie. It was a fairly straightforward crime scene. Homicide, victim was a twenty-three-year-old woman, brunet, pretty. Stabbed in the chest. He’d collected samples from the body and surrounding area while Joe and Eddie talked to the Super who had discovered the body and then Barry got a whiff of one of the chemicals he was using and his stomach flipped, all the blood rushing from his head and he felt like he might pass out.

  
Fortunately, Eddie was walking toward him, to ask him specifics and had seen Barry start to sway and grabbed his arm to steady him. “Hey Barr, are you okay?” He asked, that small frown of concern Barry was too familiar with making an appearance.

  
Barry shook his head a little to clear it. “Yeah, yeah just got a little light headed. Probably didn’t eat enough this morning.” He said, giving Eddie a genuine smile, he did appreciate that the other cared about him. “I think I’m okay now.” Eddie looked dubious for a moment but nodded and released Barry’s arm. They went over what he’d learned so far and before long they were headed back to the station.

  
Barry couldn’t help thinking about the incident throughout the day and wondering if it had anything to do with the other issues he was having. He knew he’d eaten more than enough food this morning so that couldn’t have been the problem, and he hadn’t ever had a reaction to that particular chemical before. He couldn’t for the life of him figure out what could have caused it.

  
It wasn’t until one of the detectives came up to check the results of another case he was working on that he figured it out. The detective, Johnson had been waiting for his test results which had only taken a few minutes. “You doing something different Allen?” He asked, a puzzled look on his face.

  
“What do you mean?”

  
“Your scent, you smell different, just wondering if you’d changed your shampoo or something.” He shook his head and handed the file he was waiting for over and the man said a goodbye and headed off.

  
That didn’t make any sense, a person’s scent didn’t change unless they had been claimed, bonded to a mate, which he hadn’t, or if they were- Barry froze, eyes widening, heartrate skyrocketing. He couldn’t be, it wasn’t possible, Caitlin had said-…no it couldn’t be that. There had to be another explanation.

  
He told himself that over and over throughout the day, every time he thought about the month before, how reckless he had been.

  
Now, hours later he was standing in his bathroom, anxiously waiting, eyes drifting down to the watch on his wrist. Two minutes and nineteen seconds. He took a breath and held it, looking down at the test with a single word displayed on the screen. _Pregnant_. He stared dumbly for several seconds, not comprehending what he was seeing and letting out a shuddery breath. He was _pregnant_.

  
“Fuck!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its been a month since Barry found out he's pregnant and he hasn't told anyone. But a confrontation with Captain Cold changes things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, I'm back with the second chapter, and I really want to thank everyone who left comments and kudos on the first. It seriously rocked my world.
> 
> Now, if you didn't happen to notice, I updated the tags, but just to be on the safe side I'm putting a Trigger Warning here for Panic Attacks. Please don't read if this will upset you.
> 
> And finally, while the bulk of this chapter is in Barry's POV there is a tiny snippet of Cisco's and little bit of Len's as well.

It had been a month since he found out. A month and he was still slightly in denial, well not denial exactly, he’d taken six pregnancy tests, each with the same result: Pregnant. He knew he was pregnant, he wasn’t denying it, he simply hadn’t worked himself up to dealing with what that meant yet.

He hadn’t decided what he wanted to do about it yet, unable to really go down that road because he knew what he would decide. He’d decide to have it, and more than likely keep it, he couldn’t see himself leaving his child and that meant that as soon as he made the decision he’d have to deal with all the consequences that came with it. That was the part he was really concerned with, the part he was in denial about.

He knew he couldn’t put it off for much longer, he’d been extremely lucky he hadn’t had to do anything about it yet. He couldn’t keep being the Flash while pregnant, it was a small miracle that he had gone this long with no problem, the city had been quiet, almost like the universe was taking it easy on him for a change. There’d been no Metahuman attacks, hardly any criminal activity at all, he’d saved people from accidents and a couple fires, a mugger or two, but nothing that had put him in danger. And he had been extra careful not to get injured, he had been trying very hard to avoid having to make up excuses why Caitlin couldn’t run a slew of tests or take an X-ray if he broke something.

He was not looking forward to hearing her lecture when she found out he’d been going out on patrol to fight crime while pregnant. It would probably rival Joe’s. And Barry couldn’t even contemplate how _that_ conversation was going to go.

Still, he couldn’t keep hiding his condition for ever, he was going to have to say something soon. But then he was going to have to explain certain things that he’d rather not, like the fact that he had no idea who the father of his baby is. Yeah, he knew who it could possibly be, but that was so not a conversation he wanted to have, with anyone. And that was one of the problems, because there were two people who would deserve the truth when they found out he was pregnant. And once anybody in his life knew then they all would.

He sighed taking a deep breath, he’d been running aimlessly through the streets of Central City, trying to clear his head and decide what to do, he’d stopped a mugging, a car-jacking and rushed an injured man to the hospital and now he was just running.

It wasn’t really making him feel any better but he could pretend, if just for a few seconds that his life wasn’t about to fall apart in some Hindenburg-esque disaster of his own making. He heard the crackle of his comm a second before Cisco’s voice sounded in his ear. “ _Hey Barr, there’s a robbery in progress at the CC Museum downtown._ ”

“On my way, any idea who it is, Metahuman or not, anything?” He asked, changing directions and heading in the direction of the museum. It only took about twelve seconds to get to the museum from where he had been.

“ _Sorry buddy, no idea, they tripped the silent alarm but I can’t get into the system to check the camera footage. Just be careful._ ” The engineer said and Barry could hear the tension in the other’s voice, he wasn’t sure why, it’s not like he didn’t do this all the time. Or maybe he was just projecting.

“Right. Going in now. I’ll let you know what I find.” He didn’t wait for any more to be said, just flashed himself into the museum. There were three guards knocked out at the main guard station, but they didn’t appear to be injured other than slight bumps on the head, at least they were all breathing. He told Cisco to inform the police that there were guards that would need medical assistance and then he continued on.

A quick run-through confirmed that the first floor was empty. If it hadn’t been for the unconscious guards he wouldn’t have suspected that anything was wrong. He continued up to the second floor and the sound of voices coming from a room at the end of the large hall drew his attention. He was too far away to make out the voices clearly but a quick look around the rest of the rooms told him that the only people there were in that room, at least they were all in one location and he didn’t have to worry about collecting them from various locations throughout the museum.

He flashed to the entrance of the room, about to rush in and gather up the bad guys when he heard a familiar whir. He stopped dead, eyes flying to the familiar figure lounging against a display case as though he didn’t have a care in the world, cold gun out and pointed directly at Barry. “Well, well, well, fancy running into you here Scarlet.” The thief drawled and it sounded the exact same as that night, the same tone and the same words and Barry was instantly taken back to that night. The way Len had kissed him and explored every inch of his body, pinning Barry to the bed with his weight, his cock sliding in and out of him so exquisitely.

The moment when they had climaxed together, their individual pleasure heightening the others, the soft touches and kisses that followed and then falling asleep in the thief’s arms and enjoying two more rounds throughout the night. “ _Is that Cold?_ ” Cisco asked, but Barry couldn’t answer. He couldn’t form any words, his mind jumping from what had happened between him and Len and the fact that he was pregnant, even if he wasn’t a hundred percent certain who’s it was, it could be Len’s.

Len, who was standing in front of him, holding the cold gun pointed at Barry, fully prepared to shoot him. And god, what would that do to the baby? The baby that Len had no idea about, he wouldn’t even know not to hit Barry, he could accidentally kill their child and he wouldn’t even realize it. And what the hell was Barry doing here, risking his child’s life like this, trying to play hero? Fuck, he thought he might be sick.

 _“Barry, are you okay? Your vitals are all over the place._ ” Caitlin’s voice this time, at least he thought so, everything was going fuzzy. “ _Did Cold do something to you, do you need us to come get you?_ ”

It was getting harder to breath, harder to focus. “Scarlet?” He heard Len’s voice as though it were from further away. But he was still right there, the gun still there, pointed at Barry’s body. His body that was carrying a child. Barry didn’t think any further, he ran, half afraid that he’d feel a blast of cold hit him from behind, he ran as fast as he could until he was in the middle of the cortex.

His body was trembling and he was trying to breath in but having only nominal success. “Dude, what happened? We heard Cold, then your vitals spiked, and then you just took off. What the hell man?” Cisco said, standing up from his chair in front of one of the monitors.

Barry knew he needed to tell them, he couldn’t be the Flash, not like this, not while he was pregnant but before he could even start to think of what to say his stomach flipped and he had to flash over to a trashcan to avoid throwing up all over the floor. He heard the worried voices of his friends as his stomach emptied, heaving over and over until there was nothing left but bile. He had gone to stop a crime, while pregnant, what if it had been a Metahuman, or even just another regular human thief who wouldn’t have thought twice about taking out the Flash. Hell, even Len could have shot him with the cold gun, thinking he’d be fine, not realizing the harm he could do.

He couldn’t believe he had done that, what could he have possibly been thinking to take such a risk? He was having trouble breathing again, his chest heaving, body shaking almost to the point of vibrating, and his vision was fading, blackness creeping in at the edges. His legs gave out on him and he was on the floor bringing his legs into his chest, wrapping his arms around them and burying his face.

He was vaguely aware of the tears running down his face, but he couldn’t care less at the moment. All that mattered was breathing, breathing and trying to banish the images his mind was conjuring in his panicked brain.

*********

Cisco and Caitlin looked at each other, unsure what to do. They’d noticed that Barry had been off for the last couple of weeks, moodier, more tired, and distancing himself. Cisco might have thought it had to do with what happened between him and Barry, but it wasn’t just him Barry was pushing away, it was all of them, even Joe, even Iris. They’d tried to talk to him but he always made an excuse and ran off and they’d all decided to let him deal with whatever it was until he either got better on his own or they had no choice but to confront him.

And now here he was, having a panic attack on the floor, sobbing into his knees, and didn’t even seem to hear Caitlin trying to talk to him. He showed no signs of noting when she laid a hand on his back and began rubbing in a soothing circle.

She looked up at him and he could see the worry on her face, worry he was sure was mirrored on his own. “I think maybe we should call the others.” She whispered. “Maybe Joe or Iris can get through to him.” Cisco nodded, pulling his phone from his pocket and hoped he was making the right decision. He knew Barry didn’t like it when people worried about him, but he was just going to have to suck it up, they worried because they cared, all of them. So, he hit the call button and waited for Joe to answer.

*********

Len wasn’t sure what the hell just happened. The Flash just _ran away_ , the kid never ran away, even when he should. He hadn’t even tried to stop them. _What the fuck?_ First, the kid had snuck out of his house and his bed before Len had woken up, not entirely surprising but it had still irked him, waking up to an empty bed instead of a sleeping speedster had put a bit of a damper on his morning.

Len had fully expected to hear from the kid, if nothing more he expected a conversation where Barry tried to ensure that Len didn’t use anything they had done to his advantage. Not that he would, but Len could see how he might think that, in all honesty he was hoping to talk to the kid and get a repeat performance. But it had been over two months and there had been not a peep from the speedster.

He could have let it go, let the kid pretend that none of it had ever happened, but that wasn’t exactly his style. He at least deserved a conversation damnit. So, he had started planning, if Barry didn’t want to talk to him then he’d arrange to have a conversation with the Flash. The museum had a nice sense of symmetry to it considering their history here. He’d fully intended to pull this heist alone, but Lisa had discovered his plans and demanded to be included and Len hadn’t had a good enough reason to deny her, at least not without telling her why he was planning it and he didn’t need her endless teasing and questions.

Then she’d dragged Mick into it and here they were. It had been almost too easy to get in, disable the guards, secure the security footage, and then ‘accidentally’ trip the silent alarm. Even with the addition of Mick and Lisa it had all gone flawlessly according to plan, at least until the Flash had shown and promptly fled without so much as hello or goodbye.

“What the fuck was _that_?” Lisa asked, stepping out from behind one of the displays, making her way to Len’s side.

Len wished he knew, he’d been prepared for any number of reactions from Barry, disgust, anger, betrayal even, but he hadn’t been prepared for the stark, naked _fear_ he’d seen on the hero’s face. Did he really think that Len was going to hurt him? He hadn’t even tried to hurt him since that time with Mick, when they’d kidnapped his little doctor friend.

“Red don’t usually run from a fight, and we didn’t even get to the fight yet.” Mick added, also coming out from his position of cover. None of it made any sense, Barry had never run from a fight with him, most the time they just bantered back and forth while Len shot a few easy to dodge blasts and the kid tried to grab him before he could get away with his ill-gotten gains.

He hadn’t even tried to stop him this time, and that rankled. He wasn’t interested in losing his only worthy opponent, the kid was one of the few things that gave him a thrill when he was pulling a heist any more. Without him it just wouldn’t be the same.

“Cops will be here in a hundred and thirty-two seconds, take what you want, I’m leaving.” He could almost feel the look that Mick and Lisa shared as he holstered his gun and headed to the exit. Lisa followed silently in his wake and Mick sighed, he used his gun to smash the glass of one display case and grabbed the contents as he followed them. The necklace wasn’t worth all that much, but the stone was red and reminded him of fire so it wasn’t a total waste.

“You finally gonna tell me what all this has been about?” Lisa asked, sliding up beside him and keeping pace as they made their way out of the museum.

“No.” He answered flatly. She rolled her eyes at him but didn’t try to drag it out of him, which he was exceptionally grateful for. He needed to think, needed to regroup and figure out how to get through to the young hero. He couldn’t hold it against the kid if he didn’t want to fuck again, but he wasn’t going to let the kid slack off when it came to being his nemesis. Now he just had to figure out how to get the kid to stay still long enough for a conversation.

*********

Barry came back to himself slowly, the first thing he was aware of was a hand rubbing soft circles into his back, then he heard someone whispering. He couldn’t make out the words at first, or who the voice belonged to, but he knew it made him feel safe. His breathing was slowing down, the rush of blood in his ears getting quieter. “That’s it, deep breaths.” _Joe_ , that was who was talking to him, drawing him out of his panic.

God, he hadn’t had a panic attack in years, not since he was a teenager. He’d had plenty of them after his mother’s murder, he’d been a mess for months, but Joe was always there, Joe or Iris, and they’d sit with him, rubbing his back and whispering to him until he calmed down.

“You back with us son?” He asked and Barry could hear the deep concern in his voice. He nodded, not trusting his voice yet. Not sure what he’d even say. He could feel the tears still rolling down his face, his clothes were probably soaked where he had cried on them. “Haven’t seen one that bad since you were a kid.” Joe said gently, keeping his voice pitched low. “Must have been something pretty bad to set you off like that.”

He could feel Joe’s eyes on him, feel the worry radiating off of him. Barry hated that he had made everyone worry, hated that he had broken down so badly that his friends had had to call Joe to come snap him out of it.

And why? Because he’d been so goddamn stupid, gone out to face some criminal who could have hurt him, who could have killed his baby and it would have been all his fault. He looked at Joe and he felt his walls crumbling further. He reached for his foster father and pulled him into a hug, burying his face in Joe’s neck as he began crying again. “Hey, hey. It’s alright son, whatever happened we can deal with it.”

He felt the pressure of Joe’s arms tighten around him and it made him want to cry harder. “It’s not Joe,” he whispered brokenly, “it’s not okay.” He gasped in air, trying to get enough air into his already worn lungs. “How-how c-could I d-do that? W-what if s-some…something had h-happened?” He was outright sobbing into Joe’s shoulder, the fear had passed and now all he was left with was a deep gnawing guilt. “Oh god, Joe I could have lost it, I could have lost my baby.” He felt the way the other man froze, shock running through his body.

If he’d taken the time to look up from Joe’s shoulder he would have seen the look of stunned disbelief on Cisco, Caitlin and Iris’s faces, the way none of them moved or even blinked for a full thirty seconds. But Barry was too busy falling apart in Joe’s hold to care about the others in the room. “Ssh, it’s okay Barr, you’re okay.”

Joe had recovered first and was doing his best to calm Barry down, but he was clearly heartsick and guilt-ridden, not really listening to anything Joe was saying. “Can the rest of you give us a minute?” He said, looking over at the others, the looks of surprise still clear on their faces.

Iris recovered first and started dragging the other two out of the room. “Come on Barr, let’s get you off the floor and into a chair at least.” Joe said, helping his son to his feet, keeping a hold on his arms, unsure how steady he would be. He got Barry into one of the computer chairs, kneeling down in front of him, one hand on his knee for comfort, the other lifting his chin so he could look at his tear-stained face. “Did Snart hurt you at the museum?” He asked softly.

Barry shook his head, trying to catch his breath and calm down, managing to, at least a little. “Okay, so you’re not hurt?” He reiterated, apparently needing to know, trying to make sure he didn’t miss anything important. Another shake. “Alright, how far along are you?” No point pussy-footing around here it seemed.

Barry took a deep shuddery breath, wiping at his eyes and cheeks. “About-about two months.” He answered, dropping his eyes, though Joe still had a hand on his chin.

“And how long have you known?” He asked, his voice gentle, much gentler than Barry had been expecting. He’d expected Joe to start lecturing now that he knew that Barry wasn’t injured and his panic had passed.

“A month.” He admitted. And didn’t that seem damning? That he had known for a month that he was pregnant and hadn’t said anything, had continued going out as the Flash.

Joe sighed softly and gave Barry’s knee a squeeze. “Okay,” he said slowly, “and who is the father Barr?”

He looked back at Joe and opened his mouth but nothing came out. He sucked in a breath and stood up, his agitation rising. Why did Joe have to ask that, ask the one question he couldn’t answer. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to dispel some of his nervous energy. “I don’t know.” He whispered, pacing a few steps back and forth. “I don’t know who the father is.” Fuck he hated this, hated how stupid he had been. “During my last heat, I was three different Alphas, any of them could be the father.” He avoided looking at Joe as he stalked in a small circle. “I have no idea who the father of my baby is, and it’s all my own goddamn fault for acting like a stupid, reckless, little slut.” He growled.

Joe grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing Barry to look at him. “Bartholomew Henry Allen, I won’t let anybody talk about my son that way and that includes you.” He said sternly, and Barry looked at his foster father’s face. There was no disgust, no anger, just unconditional love shining back at him. “You hear me?” He let out a breath, feeling a small weight lift from his shoulders.

“Yeah, yeah I hear you.” Joe nodded and pulled him into a fierce hug, squeezing him tightly. It only lasted a few seconds before Joe released him. “Did you really have to use the full name?” He asked, small sad smile on his face.

“Hey, it worked didn’t it?” Joe defended, a hand still on his shoulder. Barry huffed a small laugh and nodded. “Now, let’s let Caitlin check you over, huh?” He didn’t wait for a response, just started toward the door, putting light pressure on Barry’s shoulder, leading him out.

 

Barry was laying back against one of the medical beds a few minutes later, he’d changed out of his suit and into a pair of soft grey STAR Lab’s sweat pants, he hadn’t bothered with a shirt. Caitlin was fiddling with the ultrasound machine she’d wheeled in and Barry couldn’t help but wonder why they even had that. Joe had gone outside to get an update on the museum heist and Iris was practically bouncing up and down at the foot of his bed, she hadn’t said anything yet but he figured that wasn’t going to last long. Cisco was standing off to the side looking like he might pass out at any moment and Barry couldn’t help but feel guilty, avoiding eye contact with the Alpha.

“Alright Barry,” Caitlin said, stepping closer, holding a tube of gel, “this might be cold.” She squeezed out a glob onto his abdomen and then pressed the wand thing against his stomach.

“So, who’s the father?” Iris piped up finally. He had to repress the urge to roll his eyes, of course she couldn’t wait to find out _that_ detail. His eyes darted briefly to Cisco, who had a slight blush across his cheeks.

“I don’t know.” He said, looking away from Cisco and back to Iris. “During my last heat I was three Alpha’s.” He watched Iris’s eyes widen almost comically wide.

“At the same time?”

“No! Jesus Iris, not at the same time, just during the same week.” He definitely had not squeaked when he answered, nope not at all. He did however blush furiously and got the impression that Caitlin was trying very hard not to smile.

“Okay, so dish, I want names Barry.” Iris said, giving him that look he was so familiar with, the ‘I’m-a-reporter-and-I-will-find-out-the-truth’ look. Truthfully, she’d mastered that look long before becoming a journalist. He sighed, knowing she’d get it out of him eventually, but that didn’t mean right now.

Fortunately, Caitlin intervened before he had to come up with a way to deter her. “Alright, based on what I’m seeing here, you’re about eight or nine weeks along.” She said, looking at the monitor closely. “About the size of a raspberry.” She added, with a smile. Cisco had moved closer to the bed, looking at the monitor with some sort of emotion that Barry couldn’t decipher.

“Oh my god, Barr, this is so incredible.” Iris squealed from the foot of the bed.

“Everything look alright Cait?” He asked, voice wavering a little, his earlier fear resurfacing just slightly.

“From what I can tell everything looks good, its developing at a normal rate and _that_ ,” she said, pointing to a tiny fluttering on the screen, “that is your baby’s heartbeat.” Barry looked at the screen, the small flickering of his baby’s heart and he felt emotion welling up in his throat, tears slipping down his face once again.

“I’ve known for a month that I was pregnant and today was the first time it really sunk in.” He said, choking back more tears and taking in a ragged breath. “When I saw the cold gun, it was like it suddenly hit me, how much I could lose. Everything I’ve faced, since before the lighting and once becoming the Flash, nothing has scared me that much.” He said, staring at the monitor, proof that his baby was in there, alive and growing.

“Oh Barry.” Caitlin said, giving his arm a small pat. “Nothing happened, you and your baby are both perfectly healthy.”

“It was still incredibly stupid, I don’t know what the hell I was thinking. One shot from the cold gun and…” His voice cracked and he couldn’t even bring himself to finish the thought.

“I will admit it was a very bad idea to go out crime-fighting while pregnant, but you got out of there before anything bad happened. You’re both okay and that’s the most important thing.” She said, her voice that stern-compassionate mix he always admired and feared a little bit, if he was being honest. “That being said, you mister are officially benched.”

He knew that’s what was best, but the idea still bothered him. “I know I can’t be out there right now, but that’s going to put a lot of pressure on you guys, picking up the slack. It was one thing when it was just a week every couple of months during my heat, but this is gonna be at least eight months straight with no Flash help.”

“Barry, Cisco and I can handle this,” Caitlin said, putting the wand down and grabbing his hand, “we can keep the city safe and protected. You just worry about keeping that baby safe and protected, that’s what’s most important right now.”

“She’s right dude, we got this.” Cisco added, placing a hand on Barry’s shin.

He knew they were right, he had a new priority now, keep his child safe, that was what mattered most now. “Hey guys, can I talk to Cisco for a minute, alone?” He asked, looking at Caitlin and then Iris, who raised an eyebrow but moved to give them some privacy.

Caitlin moved the ultrasound machine away from the bed and then handed him a towel to wipe the goop off his abdomen. “I’ll back in a little while and we can figure out a plan for what comes next.” She said, moving to the door and Barry nodded. Then he was alone with Cisco who was shuffling his feet nervously.

“Look, Cisco, I don’t even know what to say here…except that I’m sorry.” He said, sitting up straighter.

“Dude, why are you apologizing? You didn’t do anything wrong.” The Alpha said, looking almost offended at the notion.

Barry took a breath, trying to get his thoughts in order. “It’s just that a few days after the thing between us the pain started to come back, and I knew if I called you that you wouldn’t hesitate to help and it felt like if I let it happen again I’d just be using you. And I knew you’d say that it wouldn’t matter, that you didn’t see it that way but that’s how it would feel. And I care about you too much to do that to you.” He said, trying to explain the head space he’d been in at the time. “So, when I felt the pain coming back I went to a club and-

“Dude, you don’t owe me an explanation.” Cisco rushed to say, giving Barry’s leg a light squeeze.

“I kinda think I do.”

“No man, you really don’t.” He said, shaking his head softly, biting his lip thoughtfully. “Look, we both agreed that what happened between us was just like a…medical assist, and yeah, I get why you felt it would be a bad idea to do it again. I’m not mad at you for not wanting to keep doing that, or for finding another solution.” As he spoke his cheeks turned a little pink and he fidgeted, looking away and then back.

“And neither of us thought that _this_ was going to be an issue.” He said, gesturing toward Barry’s abdomen. “So that’s on both of us. And yeah, it might be mine and it might not, but that doesn’t really matter, because it _will_ be _yours_.” He looked Barry in the eye and gave him a small smile. “This baby is yours Barry, and either way I’ve got your back one hundred percent. If it is mine I will be as involved as you want, we can co-parent as friends or I can just be ‘Uncle Cisco,’ and spoil it rotten.”

Barry couldn’t help the small laugh that left him. “And if it’s not then I will still be Uncle Cisco, and spoil it rotten.”

Another small weight lifted off his shoulders, knowing he had Cisco’s support meant more to him than he thought he could ever express. “Thanks. You have no idea how much that means to me.”

“Dude, didn’t I tell you that nothing could ever change things between us?” He laughed again, feeling immeasurably better having talked this out. “Now how about pizza?”

 

It felt like forever before he had finally managed to get back home, Caitlin had insisted on taking blood and urine samples as well as taking his blood pressure and testing half a dozen other things. Joe had come back in, informing him that Captain Cold had only taken one thing from the museum, a ruby necklace that wasn’t even the most expensive thing in that room, nobody had any idea why he would take that and only that. Barry fought his reaction to hearing Len’s name, not yet ready to face that particular can of worms, the rest of the day’s revelations had been quite enough.

Iris was being suspiciously quiet, she hadn’t asked anything else since he left the med bay and Barry didn’t trust this silent contemplation thing she was doing. They had all eaten the pizza that Cisco had gone and picked up, the conversation surprisingly light and not totally centered on his condition. He and Caitlin had talked about the logistics and come up with a vague plan for the next few months.

It was nearly one in the morning when he started yawning and Caitlin had ordered him home to bed, Iris had immediately volunteered to drive him home, ‘no sense in him running home and risk falling or anything right?’ Barry could see right through her, the second she got him alone and vulnerable she was going to drag every tiny detail out of him. Didn’t mean he was going to decline though, he was incredibly tired. She eyed him suspiciously when he didn’t put up a fight, trying to work out what his angle might be, which was actually quite entertaining.

They said their farewells and drove to his apartment in silence, Barry nearly falling asleep on the way, and she walked him up, ‘to make sure he got in okay’. The girl really had no concept of subtlety.

At least she waited until he was inside before she pounced. “Alright Barr, I have been super patient, and now I want details.”

He sighed, dropping his head back against the couch as he sat. There really was no point putting her off, she’d get her answers sooner or later so he told her everything, well maybe not certain things, but at least the important non-sexy details. That it had started with Cisco just trying to help him, how the pain started returning and he’d gone to the club. How he’d gone home with Len. “Wait, wait, wait, you had sex with _Captain Cold_?” He hadn’t even known Iris’s voice could get that high.

“I’m not sure that’s what I would call it.” He said, feeling the sensation of phantom fingers on him, remembering the taste of Len on his tongue. “He was so gentle Iris, and caring, it was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. It wasn’t just sex, it was like… _lovemaking_.” He’d hesitated to even think the word before, though it had been so apparent that that’s what it was, but what did it mean?

“Wait a minute Barry, are you saying that you have feelings for him?” She sounded surprised but not outright horrified at the idea.

“Yes.” He whispered. “Not that it matters, I’m the Flash and he’s Captain Cold, it would never work between us, not in the long run.” She was quiet for a moment so he continued telling her about going to Starling, the Meta, almost dying, how he’d used Oliver to try to run away from his feelings for Len.

“Oh, this is just not fair Barry, so in one week you had sex with Cisco, who is totally nerd-hot, Captain Cold, who has that whole sexy-villain-thing going, and Oliver Queen, who is easily one of the hottest men on the planet. You’re hogging all the good action.”

Barry laughed at her indignant pout, she really did look jealous. “I don’t know what you’re complaining about, you’ve got Eddie. He’s hot, and sweet, and he loves you. All I have are three one-night stands and no idea who the father of my child is.” If anyone should be jealous it should be him, not that he wanted Eddie, but he wanted what Iris and Eddie had together. He wanted love and commitment. No matter how good the sex was it wasn’t a substitute for that, and just look at where it had gotten him, single and pregnant.

“Oh Barry, don’t give up. Somebody great is going to come along and give you all the love and affection that you deserve.” She said, rubbing his arm gently. They lapsed into silence for a moment, Barry trying to convince himself that she was right. “So, are you going to tell them?” She asked. “I mean you already talked to Cisco, but are you going to tell Cold and Oliver?”

He was pretty sure he was looking at her like she’d grown an extra head, why in god’s name would he do that? Alright, he figured he’d have to tell Oliver sooner or later. He owed him that much at least, and it’s not like one of the others wouldn’t mention it at some point not knowing that it might be Oliver’s baby. The gossip exchanged between teams was ridiculous at the best of times and someone would definitely share this, it would be better if Barry came clean about it first. But there was no reason to tell Len, things between them were complicated enough.

Maybe he did deserve to know, but not now, not when Barry’s emotions and hormones were all over the place. He needed time, time to move past it a little. “Not yet,” he finally answered, “I just, I need some time, figure things out for myself first.” He just hoped that the universe would give him that time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if I mislead you into thinking that Len was going to find out in this chapter, but I promise it will happen soon. Next chapter will be completely in Len's POV and it will be full of fluff and angst but sadly no smut.
> 
> I went back and forth on how I wanted Joe to react to the news, he is sometimes very supportive and sometimes not so much, I decided to go the supportive route for this chapter but we all know he probably wont take the news of who the potential baby-daddies are very well, so that's something to look forward to.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter and comments and kudos are always appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our boys find out about Barry's condition thanks to a little interfering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so as the chapter description indicated Len and Oliver find out about the baby.
> 
> This chapter is all in Len's POV, we'll get Oliver's later don't worry.
> 
> There is some angst here but not as much or in the form that you are probably expecting.
> 
> I'll explain my thought process in the end notes. So I hope you enjoy and a huge thank you to everyone who has left kudos and comments so far. You guys rocked my world.

It had been three weeks. Three weeks since the museum heist, since he’d even caught a glimpse of the Flash, of Barry, and Len was still no closer to figuring out how to pin the kid down.

He had considered pulling another heist, trying to get the kid’s attention, but he didn’t hold out much hope of that working. First and foremost, the kid hadn’t been spotted anywhere in the last few weeks, Ramon and Snow had been the only one’s doing any crime-fighting, and wasn’t that worrisome? So, chances were, even if he did pull a heist Barry wouldn’t be the one to show up to stop him and even if he did, Len would have the same problem as before.

Barry could just flash away again. Unless Len did something to trap him, more than likely he’d have to freeze him in place and that wouldn’t exactly set the correct tone for the conversation he wanted to have.

He didn’t want to hurt the kid, even if it wouldn’t be for long and Barry really didn’t like it when he did that. He could force the Flash to come to him by kidnapping one of his little friends again, but that presented the same problem, Barry would really hate that, not to mention it would be breaking their deal and Barry would almost certainly drop him in Iron Heights for it. And Len really didn’t feel like having to break out of prison at the moment. Which was why his other ideas wouldn’t be such a great plan either, ambushing the kid at home or the Lab would most probably get him locked up.

That left him with very little in the way of options.

Lisa had gotten fed up with his so called sulking the first week and had hounded him to no end until he’d finally broke down (exploded) at the end of week two. “I slept with him alright?” He shouted at her after the fiftieth time she’d asked him that day what had happened. In hindsight he wished he had kept his cool a little better, especially since Mick had been in the room at the time.

Lisa had cackled like it was the funniest thing she’d ever heard while Mick sat and looked at him with a contemplative stare. “Always knew you were sweet on the kid.” He said, then shrugged and went back to playing with his lighter. Len couldn’t even come up with a denial, he knew he’d gotten in too deep, that Barry had started to mean something to him and now he was entangled in a web of feelings he was having trouble sifting through.

Once she’d stopped laughing like a maniac, Lisa had started making suggestions, all the one’s he’d already thought of and he’d had to explain the flaws with all of them. Once they’d gotten through that she’d systematically pried as many details as she could out of him about how things had happened with Barry. Even trying to be as vague as possible, his sister had picked up on far more of his feelings about it than he was comfortable with. “Don’t worry Lenny, we’ll figure out a way to get your boytoy back.” She’d even patted his hand as she said it.

She was still trying to come up with something a week later. They were sitting in another safe-house, a warehouse on the outskirts of the city. There were two couches, a TV, a fridge and a coffee table taking up half the room, and work benches and tables taking up the other half. “What if we have Boo grab him and bring him here?” Lisa asked, legs dangling off the back of one couch while her head rested on the seat cushion. He couldn’t imagine how she could be comfortable in the position.

He shook his head. “The whole point is not to make things worse Lise, kidnapping isn’t going to help my cause any, he’s very touchy about that.” Mick snorted from where he was sitting on the other couch flipping through channels but still listening to their conversation.

“Oh, come on, it wasn’t that bad. Both his friends were fine. He really needs to let that go.” She huffed out indignantly. He sighed deeply, closing his eyes and resting his head back on the couch. They had already been over this a dozen times in the last week.

“Normal people don’t just get over it when you kidnap their friends and family.” He said tiredly. Lisa opened her mouth to say something, no doubt something snarky, when Len’s burner phone started ringing. _Huh_ , none of the people who had his number should have any reason to be calling him now. He picked it up off the coffee table and looked at the screen, he didn’t recognize the number so it probably wasn’t one of his Rogues.

He didn’t spend long thinking about it, pushing the answer button and holding it up to his ear. “Who the hell is this?” He growled, if it was a wrong number they’d probably just hang up.

“Snart?” The feminine voice on the other end asked.

“Who’s asking?” He made sure to put a little bit of a threat into his drawl. Both Lisa and Mick had perked up at the exchange and were looking at him.

“It’s Iris, Iris West.” She said, exasperation clear and he imagined her rolling her eyes as she said it. What the hell could Iris West be calling him for, and more importantly, how had she even gotten his number.

“And how, might ask, did you get this number, Miss West?”

“I’m an investigative journalist, I have my ways.” He could detect a hint of smugness in her voice and he couldn’t help but be a little impressed. She had that same fiery determination that his sister had, god help the world if they ever teamed up.

“Fair enough, so why exactly would you go to the trouble of getting my number in the first place, what do you want, Miss West.” He could only assume it had to do with Barry, but why would she be the one calling, why call at all? He hadn’t exactly been hiding, he’d spent a fair amount of time at Saints and Sinners the last three weeks, hoping Barry would walk in and explain what his problem was.

“You can call me Iris, but that’s not really important, I need you to come to STAR Labs.” She said, a hint of trepidation in her voice now. What the hell could she want from him that she would invite (more like order) him to STAR Labs?

“And what’s in it for me?”

He was trying not to let his imagination run away with him, and there was always the chance that this was some sort of trap. “Information.” She said simply.  
“Information about what exactly?” Lisa was smacking him in the leg by this point, trying to get his attention. He glared at her and she raised her eyebrows, silently asking him what was going on, he waved her off for now.

He heard an exaggerated sigh from the other end of the phone. “Look, it’s about Barry, and if you care about him at all you will be at the Labs in one hour, understood?” There was some emotion in her voice that he couldn’t identify and it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He couldn’t even bring himself to berate her a little bit for trying to order him around.

“He’s-” Len had to pause and clear his throat of the lump that had formed there. “He’s okay right?” He hated the concern that bled through in his voice, but there wasn’t much he could do about it.

“He’s okay.” He let out a soft breath at her confirmation. “Look, if it was me…I’d want to know, so can you just please…just come here, please. I promise this isn’t a trap or anything.” Her voice had lost some its confidence and he couldn’t help but wonder again what could have compelled her to contact him.

Only one way to find out apparently. “Alright.” He said, hoping he was making the right call. He had that feeling he sometimes got before a job went all to hell. He hated that feeling, but he was hoping that he was wrong and Scarlet wasn’t trying to pull some sort of con on him.

“Good. Alright, I’ll see you in an hour.” She said quickly and hung up the phone, probably trying to avoid him changing his mind if she gave him too much time to think.

He looked down at the screen of his phone for a moment. “What’s going on Lenny?” Lisa asked, she had moved to actually sit on the couch correctly.  
“That was Iris West.” He drawled, going for a bored tone and certain he missed by a mile.

“Well no shit. I’d already figured that part out.” She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at him. “What did she want?”

“Wants me to meet her at STAR Labs in an hour.” His mind was swirling with all the possibilities it could conjure for her making such a request. She’d said that Barry was okay, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t lying, though what that would get her and why she would call him he couldn’t fathom. He couldn’t really think of any reason why she would have called _him_ , if they wanted his help with something it was far more likely that Barry would have sought him out.

Except that the kid was currently avoiding him, but would he really let what happened between them keep him from reaching out if he needed help? He could understand before, he had betrayed the kid with the Meta transport, but they’d moved past that. _Hadn’t they?_ If they hadn’t then Barry never would have spent the night in Len’s bed. Was that what this was really about, did Iris know about the night they’d spent together, was she trying to play matchmaker for them?

Too many questions and not enough answers. “You’re going?” It was half question, half statement. She knew the risk of a trap as well as he did, but she also knew that he couldn’t turn down the chance to talk to Barry.

“Yep, and you’re coming with me.” He said, standing up and looking at her surprised face. “If it’s a trap I’d prefer to have back up with me.” She nodded and stood up, straightening her clothes and running her fingers through her hair. Of course, she’d be concerned about her appearance, there was every likelihood that Cisco would be around. “Mick, you go gather the rest of the Rogues and if you don’t hear from me in two hours, storm the place.” The pyro grinned like it was Christmas morning.

 _Any excuse to create mayhem_. Len thought, smiling fondly and heading to grab his parka and gun, if it was a trap he wasn’t walking in unarmed.

 

He’d given Lisa time to change and fix her hair and makeup, they were only a thirty-minute drive from STAR Labs, and they made it there with five minutes to spare. They had parked their motorcycles in one of the camera blind spots he’d found early on and headed inside. The security was still deplorable, it had taken him an alarmingly small amount of time to get through the door with no one the wiser.

How they had survived this long when anyone could just waltz in off the street was still a mystery to him. Maybe if this talk with Iris West went well he’d mention a few suggestions to Cisco about how to keep out the undesirables, not that it would keep him out if he wanted in but it couldn’t hurt.

He assumed that she was planning on having this little meeting in their cortex, so once inside he headed that way, Lisa following a step behind and to his left. As they got closer to their destination he could hear the sound of voices down the hall. Two men. _Hmm_.

They walked down the hall silently, not wanting to alert anyone to their presence until he was ready. The closer they got the clearer the voices became. “You’re telling me you have no idea what this is about Cisco?” He didn’t recognize the voice, but it was full of exasperation. He noticed that Lisa perked up at the mention of the engineer’s name.

“I don’t know man, whatever it is she didn’t tell me.” Cisco answered, voice a mix of pleading and irritation. Len wondered how long they’d been going in circles over whatever they were discussing. He was a few feet from the entrance into the cortex now.

“You have to have some idea why Iris called me here.” The second voice growled. Well, apparently, he wasn’t the only one Iris West had reached out to, now he was more curious than ever. And with an opening like that…

“I’d like an answer to that question as well.” He drawled, stepping into the room like he owned it. He got a moment of pure satisfaction as both occupants reacted to his abrupt entrance. Cisco jumped half a foot from his chair and nearly fell on the floor. The other man whirled around hand reaching for something, looking quite put out when he realized he didn’t have whatever weapon he normally carried. Len noticed with some bemusement that he recognized the other man.

Oliver Queen, billionaire playboy, stranded on an island in the North China Sea for five years, rescued and cleaned up his act and was now the current mayor of Starling City, home of the green-hooded vigilante that liked to put arrows in people, who just so happened to appear at the same time Queen returned. Again, _h_ _mm_. And what are the odds that that was just a coincidence. “What are _you_ doing here Snart?” Cisco demanded, and to his credit his voice didn’t waver like it once might have.

“No need to be rude Cisco, after all, I was invited. Miss West called and asked me to meet, so here I am.” He said, spreading his arms wide, not missing the narrow-eyed look Queen gave him when the movement shifted his parka enough to reveal his cold gun underneath. As he let his arms down Lisa stepped up beside him.

“What, no hello for me Cisco? I’m hurt.” She said, giving him a pout that none of them would have believed even if they didn’t know her.

“Uh…Lisa, hey…hello.” The young man stuttered out, smiling at Lisa like she was the best thing he’d ever seen, before looking back to Len with a touch of panic in his eyes. It was cute really, how he thought Len was the one he had to worry about. His baby sister hadn’t needed him to protect her from anyone other than their father in a very long time.

That’s why he never put much stalk in the way people thought of dynamics and personality traits. People liked to pretend that everything could be classified and sorted into neat little boxes, Alpha’s were dominant and aggressive, Omega’s were weak and submissive, and Beta’s were the balance. But things were rarely that simple, for example: here was Cisco, an Alpha, a blushing, fidgeting, stuttering mess of nerves, the kid did have some backbone, but not what anyone would call dominant and aggressive, and then there was Lisa, an Omega who could easily eat the kid alive, he’d seen her take down plenty of Alpha’s without even needing a weapon.

People were far too complicated to be categorized like that, a person was made of so much more than just what dynamic they were born into. Life experiences made much more of an impact in his opinion. “How you been, cutie?” His sister asked, flipping her hair over her shoulder and Len had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes.

“Uh, good…yeah good. How about you?” He replied. And this was just getting nauseating.

“Cisco, why are you making small talk with the Flash’s villains?” Queen growled, arms crossing over his chest disapprovingly.

Before the kid could answer Lisa beat him to it. “And what gives you the right to tell him who he can and can’t talk too?” She sniped, lifting an imperious eyebrow. What Queen might have said next they’d never know as a new voice cut in.

“Oh good, you’re all here.” Iris said, walking in from a doorway across the room, not the one he and Lisa had come through.

“Iris,’ Queen said, uncrossing his arms, “what the hell is going on?”

He could see the fleeting look of indecision and… _guilt?_ on her face. She bit her lip as she looked between him and Queen and then looked at Cisco. She made some sort of facial gesture at the engineer, trying to communicate something to him. His brows furrowed and he looked at Queen and then Len and then his eyes widened as he worked out whatever it was that they were here for before looking back at Iris. At least someone had an idea of what they were doing here.

“Seriously?” He asked, a slight squeak in his voice. She gave a single nod and he looked like he might fall out of his chair again. “If you called them here for what I think you did then I’m telling you now that that is the worst idea anyone has ever had in the history of the Multiverse.” He said angrily. “So, for the record, when Barry finds out, I had nothing to do with this.” He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair with a glare. He somehow managed to look more disapproving than Queen had a moment ago.

“Alright, someone better tell me what’s going on, and where is Barry?” Queen growled. _Did he do that with his voice on purpose?_ Len wondered.

“I’d like to know the answer to that as well.” He added. “Especially since he ran out on our last meeting.”

“You mean _heist_ , don’t you?” Cisco grumbled.

“Wasn’t there to steal anything, needed to get the kid’s attention is all.” He drawled, moving to lean against one of the worktables, ignoring the glare Queen was giving him.

“And the necklace that mysteriously vanished?” The engineer countered.

Len shrugged, making the movement look as lazy as possible, though he was starting to get seriously irritated with these people. “Had to let Mick take a consolation prize, especially since he didn’t even get a good fight out of it.” He noticed how Iris was looking at him with a slight frown, brows drawn, but what did these people expect exactly, he was a thief after all? And he was quickly losing patience.

He was a heartbeat away from drawing his gun and demanding answers when he heard Barry’s voice. “Alright Iris, I’m here, and this better be important.” The kid said, walking through the same door Iris had, looking down at his phone as he walked.

He was still as stunningly gorgeous as the last time Len had seen him, outside of the suit anyway, wearing a soft grey STAR Labs sweat pants and t-shirt, hair disheveled like he’d been running his fingers through it. The same way it had looked that night, when he’d been spread out beneath him, arching his back and moaning Len’s name. And this was not the time for those thoughts. “You know I have to meet Cait for-” Whatever he’d been about to say died on his tongue as he finally looked up and noticed the other occupants in the room.

He stopped dead in his tracks, jaw dropping as he looked from one face to the next. Was it his imagination or did he linger on Len for just a heartbeat longer than the others before turning to look at Iris. “WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK, IRIS!” He shouted and everyone else flinched slightly. It wasn’t the volume, but the pure rage that his voice held. Len had never heard that much anger from the kid, not even when he faced people who were trying to kill him.

To her credit Iris didn’t flinch. “You need to tell them Barry, the longer you wait the harder it’s going to be.” She kept her voice steady, not raising it but still firm.

“That’s not your decision Iris!” He said, taking a menacing step forward and Len noticed that both he and Queen tensed, ready to intervene if things got physical. “That is my decision. Mine, do you understand me? When and if _I_ tell them is _my_ choice and it has _nothing_ to do with _you_.” The kid was angry enough at this point that his hands had started to vibrate. He noticed the way Lisa’s eyes widened before she looked at him, wondering if they should be concerned. Len wasn’t sure yet if they should or not.

“Look Barry, I know you’re upset but they deserve to know, and you’re going to be happier in the long run if you tell them now.”

Barry shook his head, a humorless laugh falling from his lips. The sound was more menacing than anything else and it sent Len’s instincts on alert. “So, you decide you know what’s best for me and fuck how I feel about it, just like Thawne?” Iris looked like he’d slapped her. “You had no right, no right to try and make this decision for me. I cannot even believe that you did this.” The anger was still in his voice but now there was hurt creeping in as well. “You know what, just leave, I don’t even want to be around you right now.”

Iris gasped and then tried to reach for Barry’s arm but he yanked it out of her grasp. “Barry.” Her voice was imploring, tears coming to her eyes.

“Just go.” He looked away from her, down at the ground and Len watched as she swallowed back tears and then turned to walk away, moving past them toward the front exit. Len wasn’t sure what to think, he’d seen the love that Barry had for his foster sister, seen the devotion, he didn’t think there was anything that could have driven them to this point, the point where Barry had basically just thrown her out of his life.

He wasn’t sure there was anything that could ever drive a wedge like that between him and Lisa and he felt uncomfortable with the idea that he might be a contributing factor in this rift between Barry and his sister.

“Well, this has been fascinating and all-” He was cut off mid-drawl by Cisco hitting him in the shoulder with the back of his hand. Len turned his head slowly to glare at the kid who didn’t even have the decency to look scared.

“Dude, just try not to be a dick for a few minutes alright.” He could see the worried look in Cisco’s eyes and turned back to look at Barry who was still vibrating off and on and breathing a little heavier.

“Barry,” Queen finally said, breaking the speedster out of his daze, “look, I don’t know what all of that was about, but you know you can tell me anything, whatever it is.” The kid finally looked up, eyes locking with Queen’s for a moment, taking a breath and giving the slightest nod. Then he looked at Cisco and opened his mouth to say something but Cisco beat him to it.

“Nope, I already told you, a hundred percent. Nothing’s changed. Just tell them what you want.” Len wasn’t sure what that meant but it didn’t really matter because then Barry was looking at him, eyes searching, waiting for some sign, but of what Len had no idea. Whatever it was Barry must have found it because he looked down and nodded like he was giving himself the okay to say whatever it was they had been called here to hear.

“Alright, I don’t know how to say this other than to just say it.” He said, holding one hand with the other to quiet the vibrations that had picked up speed. “I’m pregnant.”

Len froze, mind completely shutting down for at least a good ten seconds, starting up again with a loud refrain of the words ‘Barry’s pregnant’ repeating over and over in an endless loop. He sucked in a deep breath, his lungs burning from lack of oxygen. His whole world crashing and reforming in the space of a heartbeat. _Barry’s pregnant_. _Barry’s_ pregnant. Barry’s _pregnant_. His mind couldn’t comprehend anything else.

His eyes were glued to the kid, taking in every inch of his face, from the flush of his cheeks to the stark vulnerability in his eyes, the way his bottom lip was trapped between his teeth. He was the most beautiful thing Len had ever laid eyes on. And he was pregnant. Len’s eyes dropped to Barry’s abdomen, logically he knew that it was probably too early to see any outward signs, especially with the kid wearing a slightly too large shirt, but he could imagine it. Barry’s stomach swollen large, his hands splayed over top, a gentle smile on his lips.

He could see it so clearly, he ached. And god did he want to see it in real life. His eyes traveled back up to meet Barry’s and he wanted to cross the room and pull the kid into his arms and kiss him senseless, but he couldn’t move, couldn’t break himself out of this singular moment he was caught in. At least not until Barry started talking again. “Look, before you start freaking out or making plans or anything, just let me finish.” He looked at Len and then his eyes shifted to Queen who was standing as equally frozen as Len.

“The week I was in heat, I was with all of you.” He started and then flushed. “Well, not you Lisa, but the three of you.” He said, nodding at the rest of them. Len narrowed his eyes at the other two Alphas in the room. Ramon at least had the decency to blush and was going out of his way to avoid looking at Lisa who was glaring at the back of his head like she could crack his skull if she just stared hard enough.

Ramon did not seem surprised by the news, so obviously he had known about the pregnancy and now his reaction earlier made more sense, he must have known that Barry had been with at least one other Alpha but not known who and had figured it out when Iris had given him that look. Queen still looked as shell-shocked as Len felt. “I know that none of you were expecting this, hell it shouldn’t have even been possible, but now that you’re here and you know, you can ask me whatever you want to know.”

Barry ran a hand through his hair and then rested it on the back of his neck in that gesture he always made when he was nervous. “Obviously I don’t know who the father is, but I am keeping it. Now if you don’t want to be involved I get it, you can go, forget any of this ever happened, and don’t worry about it. I can handle this.” Len got the feeling that Barry had been saying that last part to himself a lot.

Len didn’t care what the others did, there was no way in hell he was walking away now. He might be a lot of things, but he was not adding dead-beat dad to that list. He was already reworking his life in his head, figuring out what he would need to do to make this work, he wasn’t going to wait around to find out if it was his or not, he needed to start putting things in motion now. None of the others had moved so he took it that they were all on the same page as him.

“Alright.” Barry said, deciding that meant that no one was running out the door any time soon. “Just one other thing then.” His eyes hardened slightly and his chin tilted up in determination. “I don’t care whose baby this is, because its mine. And I will kill anyone who tries to take it away from me or hurt it in any way.” A chill ran down Len’s spine when Barry said that. He’d never thought the kid was capable of outright murder, but he had no doubt that he meant every word.

He thought Barry must have been directing that statement at him but his eyes had traveled to each of them, even briefly to Lisa, before he gave a brief nod, trusting that they understood his seriousness on the matter. “Okay, now I’m sure you all have some questions and whatnot, but I was supposed to meet Caitlin like ten minutes ago for an ultrasound, so if you can hold off for a little bit you can come and see.” He said, voice soft and inviting, a total one-eighty from the death threat a moment ago.

Len was still having trouble finding his voice, but he didn’t want to miss seeing his baby, and he was going to think of it as his until he found out otherwise, so he nodded mutely and was gratified to see Barry’s smile directed at him. He was too busy soaking everything in to worry about Queen or Ramon but when Barry started walking the whole group walked with him. Lisa was casting him small questioning looks as they walked, probably trying to gage his feelings on everything, but he was more interested getting to their destination than trying to appease her curiosity.

Barry led them to the med bay, where Caitlin was waiting, equipment already set up. Her eyes widened when she saw the small entourage following Barry, mouth dropping open when her eyes landed on him and Lisa. She looked back at Barry and gave him a questioning look before it seemed to click just why they were here.

Barry flushed slightly as she gave him an exasperated look, Len could almost hear her thoughts, ‘ _really Barry, Snart?_ ’ at least that’s what he imagined was going through her mind. Not that he could blame her really, he had kidnapped her and let Mick terrorize her and strap her to a bomb, even if said bomb wouldn’t have done any real damage. She looked at Len and narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but refrained from commenting, getting Barry situated on the medical bed.

Barry lifted his shirt and she tucked a paper towel into his pants and squirted out a generous amount of gel on his stomach. “How’s the morning sickness?” She asked, ignoring the others in the room and focusing on Barry instead. “Did that herbal tea help any?”

“Yeah, but I haven’t actually had to use it the last two days.” He answered as she picked up the wand attached to the ultrasound machine and pressed it against his lower abdomen. Len crowded closer, trying to get a better look at the screen and noticed Queen was doing the same. He barely held himself back from shoving the man out of his way.

He heard a soft chuckle and turned to look at Barry who was watching them craning and maneuvering to get a better look. He felt his face soften and gave the kid a small smile. “Well you are starting into your second trimester, so hopefully you won’t have to put up with it for much longer. This is usually when the morning sickness starts to pass.” She said, moving the wand around some before stopping and holding it still. “Alright, there we go.” She said, pointing to the screen where he could make out the definite shape of a head and torso.

He sucked in a deep breath, eyes prickling hotly, his chest swelling with more emotion than he could ever remember feeling. He knew that nothing in his life was ever going to matter more than that tiny outline on the screen, no heist could ever compare to this feeling swelling through his chest. Nothing could ever compare to it. He was distantly aware of the others around him but his entire focus had coalesced to one single tiny life.

“It’s about two inches long, which is right on track, looks like it’s graduated from a raspberry to a plum.” She said, clicking something on the keyboard. As he watched he saw quite the flutter of movement. “And it appears it’s doing flips in there.” He could hear the soft amusement in her voice, as well as her genuine happiness.

“And it’s healthy?” Len asked, swallowing down the little ball of emotion lodged in his throat.

“Yep.” She said, not looking at him, sounding a little cold, but she clicked something and the screen changed. “There’s it’s heartbeat.” He listened intently to the rhythmic whoosh, watching the corresponding spikes on the screen. “About a hundred and sixty beats per minute, which is where it should be.”

“Can you tell if it’s a boy or a girl yet?” Cisco asked excitedly. Len didn’t care either way, as long as it was healthy, but he could admit that it would be nice to know. Snow clicked another button and the screen went back. She moved the wand around on Barry’s abdomen for a while, before letting out an exasperated huff.

“Boy or girl, it certainly is stubborn, can’t get a good angle and it keeps moving around.”

Barry laughed at that, the sound light and joyful. “It’s okay Cait, don’t need to know right this second, we can try again at the next one.” Len wondered if they were all going to be allowed to come to the next ultrasound, Barry hadn’t said how he felt about all of this, just told them they could leave if they wanted. He suddenly wanted to talk to Barry without so many ears in the room, he hadn’t changed his mind about how he felt, if anything he wanted the kid more than ever. Now he just needed to figure out where Barry’s thoughts were.

“Can you print out a few copies?” Barry asked, and Caitlin nodded, clicking a button and capturing the image, before setting the wand down and handing Barry a towel to clean up with. Len looked shamelessly, noticing that Barry’s abs seemed a little softer, and he might have a little extra weight, but he wasn’t sure if he was just hoping to see a physical change. Barry finished cleaning off his stomach and pulled the paper towel out of the top of his pants and pushed his shirt back down before looking up and locking eyes with Len.

Len wanted nothing more than to lean down and kiss the speedster senseless but he managed to refrain, though if the way Barry’s eyes dropped to his lips for a moment was any indication, he wouldn’t have had a problem with it. Before any of them could work out what to say next, Len’s phone started beeping and he cursed softly. He pulled it out of his pocket and turned off the alarm he had set, giving himself fifteen minutes to call Mick before he showed up, heat gun literally blazing.

“You need to leave?” Barry asked hesitantly.

“No, just need to give Mick a call.” He answered, not sure what he would even say at this point, other than, ‘for the love of god do not bring the Rogues to STAR Labs.’

“Don’t worry about it Lenny, I can make the call, you two should talk.” Lisa piped up, then smirked at Barry. “Well, I guess you _four_ should talk.” The kid flushed as red as his suit and Len was reminded of just how far down that blush went. “And don’t worry Superspeed, I won’t give him any details about this little meeting. Just don’t want him storming the castle.”

“And why would he do that?” Cisco asked suspiciously.

Lisa pinned him with a haughty glare, flipping her hair in that way she did when she was hurt but pretending she wasn’t. “Just in case you all decided to throw us in that not-so-secret-illegal-prison in your basement.” She had switched to looking at Barry halfway through her statement and her voice switched to a more teasing lilt than the outright caustic one she’d started with. Barry blushed harder and his eyes dropped ashamedly.

Len was about to tell his sister to knock it off, he didn’t want Barry upset right now but Queen cut off his reprimand. “You mean the one housing the dangerous criminals that you both set free?” He said, crossing his arms and glaring.

Lisa smiled at him sweetly and Len felt his instincts twitch, that smile never meant anything good. “You’d think that as the Mayor of Starling City you’d feel obligated to uphold the Geneva Convention, but I guess permanent solitary confinement with no trial is better than a death sentence by _arrow_ , depending on who you ask. And what are _your_ feelings on the _vigilante_ , Mr. Queen?” She asked, her voice conveying that she knew exactly who she was talking to.

Queen’s jaw clenched and he knew Lisa had scored a hit, and as much fun as it might be to watch his baby sister put the Alpha in his place, he could tell that the tension was upsetting Barry. “Lise, don’t you have a call to make?” He said sharply. She huffed but nodded and left the room to make the all-important call.

He looked back at Barry who gave him a grateful smile. Now the real fun was about to begin.

 

Len had spent a good while talking to Barry, securing an invitation to come back later in the week and before heading out Caitlin had handed him a sonogram picture, the first picture he’d ever have of his child. He had choked up a little when he thanked her and he might have been embarrassed about it if she hadn’t thawed to him a little bit after that. He and Lisa had headed back toward the warehouse where they had left Mick, who had summoned the rest of the Rogues, most of whom were all probably still there.

Lisa had stopped him with a hand on his arm before they made it inside. “Sooo,” she said, drawing the word out obnoxiously, “what’s your plan Lenny?”

He sighed, taking out the picture he had placed in the inside pocket of his parka, running his thumb along the little face that was clearly in profile. “Time for a change Lise.” He said softly.

She rubbed his arm gently for a few seconds. “I got your back big brother. With you to the end.” He nodded and looked at the entrance to the warehouse.

“Only one thing left to do then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did Len and Barry talk about? Where was all the angst? What did Len do to the Rogues? So many questions and not enough time to answer them all. But I will give you a few tidbits to tide you over.
> 
> So, you're probably wondering, where is all the angsty crap I promised? It is coming, and there will probably lots in the future. Buut, Barry had his little breakdown not so long ago and I didn't want to push him too far over the edge. The thing with Iris was hard enough, and don't worry, they'll be fine. Once Barry's pregnancy-hormone-addled brain calms down a bit. Not that i particularly condone what she did, but it did come from a place of love so that's gotta count for something.
> 
> Now if you are surprised by Len's reaction just remember that he does genuinely care about Barry, and the full scope of what this pregnancy and his potential role in it means hasn't fully hit him yet. And inevitably all of that past child hood trauma and self esteem issues because of said trauma will crop up.
> 
> Next chapter will have Barry's point of view on this little episode, as well as his private talks with both Len and Oliver.
> 
> P.S.  
> As a side note I haven't decided on whether to have the baby be a boy or girl, or on potential names for either, so if you want to cast a vote on the gender feel free to do so in the comments. Thank you all for reading and hope you continue to enjoy.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry has his talks with Len and Oliver and then everyone gets a surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I'm posting early. I don't usually post until Sunday but today is a very special day. It is the 1st anniversary of my 29th birthday. Yep, that's right. I decided I was going to stop aging at 29 (please don't burst my bubble by telling me that's not how it works, I know I'd just like to live in denial) but I do still like cake and presents, so instead of just not celebrating I decided to celebrate anniversaries instead of birthdays. So, I had cake, got a new tattoo, and now I'm sharing a new chapter with all of you. 
> 
> Now this chapter somehow ended up being nearly as long as the first one but before you get too excited just keep in mind that the first part is going to be Barry's perspective from the previous chapter. Then he has his talks with Len and Oliver, so heavy on the dialogue. But there is gonna be a surprise at the end. 
> 
> And finally thank you to everyone who continue to leave kudos and comments, it's the best gift I could ask for. Hope you all enjoy this new chapter.

Furious didn’t even begin to describe what Barry was feeling right now. How the hell could Iris do something like this? Knowing full well how he felt on the matter.

It’s not that he couldn’t see her side of it, god knows she’d told him enough times over the last few weeks. And yes, he knew that Len and Oliver had a right to know, _eventually_ , when he was ready to tell them. Not because Iris had brought them here as some sort of ambush.

Everything in his life was out of his control, he couldn’t be the Flash right now, couldn’t help his friends if something went wrong out there fighting crime, he had no control over what his body was doing, he’d spent the better part of the last two months throwing up with barely any warning, it was better now that he didn’t have to hide that from everyone, but he still had no control over when he’d have to make a desperate run to the bathroom. Not to mention the strain that was being put on his bladder. And the crying, he had been reduced to tears at least four times in the last two weeks, he’d always been more of an emotional person, but this was on a whole new level. Sometimes he wasn’t even sure why he was crying.

He was going to have to talk to Singh soon and let him know what was going on, because there were just some chemicals he shouldn’t be around while he was pregnant. And he was going to have to go on maternity leave at some point, so Singh would have to make arrangements for replacing him, however temporarily.

It felt like he had no control over anything anymore, and maybe this wasn’t the best way to keep some control in his life, but this was supposed to be his decision damn it. And how dare she take that away from him.

He probably shouldn’t have compared her to Thawne, but he didn’t really have control over his mouth by that point. He was too stressed and his hormones were too out of control and it’s not like he was all that far off with his comparison.

Thawne had made this huge speech about how Barry should be thanking him because without him the Flash wouldn’t exist. Like Barry should be grateful that some crazy, time traveling megalomaniac had gifted him with this opportunity. It wasn’t like Barry had asked to become the Flash, Thawne had decided he knew what was best and run with it. And sure, Thawne was crazy and evil, and Iris was probably just trying to help but that didn’t give her the right to make decisions about Barry’s life behind his back.

Right now, he just needed some time to cool down and deal with the mess she had thrown at his feet. Yes, he had created the mess in the first place, but how and when he dealt with it should have been left up to him. Now he had to deal with it right now, whether he was prepared to or not.

He had taken a few breaths to calm down as Iris had walked out, and then he was left facing the potential fathers of his baby, and Lisa Snart, and he had to tell them. Now that they were here and knew something was going on he didn’t hold out any hope of getting out of here without answering their questions. Cisco had told him again that he was behind Barry a hundred percent, no matter what he wanted to do. Oliver had basically said Barry could tell him anything, but he wasn’t sure yet how the older vigilante was going to react.

And then there was Len, his chest ached just looking at him. Still as breathtakingly gorgeous as he was when Barry had last seen him. Not counting the almost confrontation at the museum. His mind instantly went back to that night once more. He’d thought about a thousand times over the last few weeks, beyond the point of pretending that it hadn’t meant anything. It had meant far too much, which was why he had left that morning and avoided the man since then.

He wasn’t sure when he had started falling for the errant thief, he’d been lying to himself about it for too long to know, but it had started long before their night of pleasure together. A night that might have resulted in this situation they were in now.

He looked at Len’s face, trying to guess how he would react to the news. He’d thought about that a lot since he found out himself. Wondering if he’d be angry, if he’d simply walk out without looking back, if he’d want to be involved, if he’d want to be something more. That was probably more than half of the reason he hadn’t wanted to do this yet. But he had very little choice in the matter now.

Despite how long he’d spent contemplating this moment he’d never thought of a way to ease into the subject, and if he didn’t just say it he might start rambling and that wouldn’t help anything. “Alright, I don’t know how to say this other than to just it. I’m pregnant.” That was probably a lot more blunt than he was intending and he saw the way everyone in the room but Cisco froze. Len and Oliver’s eyes widening as they stared at him.

Lisa looked surprised, but not outright shocked, so Barry assumed that Len had told her about them sleeping together. But none of them other than Cisco knew he had been with the others that week. And then Len’s eyes dropped to look at Barry stomach and he had to resist the urge to place his hand over it, he wasn’t showing yet, but he found himself resting a hand protectively over that spot a lot lately. He couldn’t tell what the thief was thinking, his mind still frozen in shock, Oliver’s not much better. Not that Barry had ever been particularly good at reading either man.

“Look, before you start freaking out or making plans or anything, just let me finish.” He said, looking between Oliver and Len, he just needed to get this all out before either of them recovered enough to speak. “The week I was in heat, I was with all of you.” Barry could tell he was blushing, he couldn’t help still feeling a bit of shame over his actions that week. “Well, not you Lisa, but the three of you.” He nodded at them, not sure why he felt the need to clarify that.

Len glared at Oliver and then Cisco, and Barry wished he could say it didn’t send a pleasant warmth through him that the Alpha was showing some possessiveness. Cisco was blushing under Len’s scrutiny and somehow missed the death glare that Lisa was shooting him. _Huh_ , maybe she really did have some feelings for his friend. Cisco had said that all the flirting she did was just to make him uncomfortable or to get something out of him, maybe he was wrong.

It didn’t really matter right this second though, he had more he needed to tell them. “I know that none of you were expecting this, hell it shouldn’t have even been possible,” he was still kinda sore over that, “but now that you’re here and you know, you can ask me whatever you want to know.” Barry said, running a hand through his hair and then rubbing at the back of his neck.

He knew he owed them at least that much, especially Len. Cisco and Oliver had both known about his powers and Caitlin’s belief that he’d never be able to get pregnant, but Len had been reaching for condoms when Barry had stopped him. From his perspective he might think that Barry had lied to him about not needing them, but he really had thought that there was no chance of this ever happening. None of them were talking though, maybe still too surprised to ask him anything. Well, he’d just have to start for them, tell them where he was at with all of this.

“Obviously I don’t know who the father is, but I am keeping it.” He said. No sense in them getting any ideas. He’d already decided that he was going to do this, have this child and raise it, even if he had to do it completely alone. Not that he expected his friends and family to abandon him, they’d already been incredibly supportive about it. “Now if you don’t want to be involved I get it, you can go, forget any of this ever happened, and don’t worry about it. I can handle this.” He repeated the last like a mantra, he’d been saying that phrase over and over to himself so often lately.

He noticed that Len’s face hardened slightly, but he looked more like he was thinking than that he was angry. Barry hoped so at least, he really didn’t want to fight with any of them about this. After a few moments with nobody saying anything he figured that they weren’t going to storm out and forget about this.

Now on to one of the bigger reasons Barry had been afraid of this conversation. “Alright. Just one other thing then.” He thought again about the way when it came to children an Omega’s rights were usually superseded by the Alpha’s, a stupid antiquated notion that an Alpha would be a better provider than an Omega meant that if it came down to it courts usually placed children with the Alpha who sired them. No way in hell was he going to let that happen to his child, no one would take it away from him.

“I don’t care whose baby this is, because its mine. And I will kill anyone who tries to take it away from me or hurt it in anyway.” He said, meaning every word and looking at each of them so they’d understand that he was serious. He didn’t want to think that any of them would be so cruel as to try to take his child without any provocation but he hadn’t wanted to risk it, he’d heard too many horror stories of Omega’s losing their children because the courts usually sided with the Alpha. So now that they all knew how far he was willing to go to keep his child he could hopefully feel more at ease with them knowing.

It was probably best to have gotten this out of the way now, he’d have to talk to Iris later, he was still mad, but he’d calmed down some and he didn’t want to lose his best friend over this. Especially considering how excited she was at the ultrasound, _ultrasound, crap he had forgotten that he was headed to have another one when he’d been sidetracked with this_. Well, maybe it was alright timing for this after all.

“Okay, now I’m sure you all have some questions and whatnot, but I was supposed to meet Caitlin like ten minutes ago for an ultrasound, so if you can hold off for a little bit you can come see.”

He was hoping that he could put off talking about anything else for at least a few minutes, and he really did want them to experience this, he didn’t want them to miss out on any part they wanted to be involved in. Len and Oliver both nodded, both still seemingly in shock. He did feel a little bad about that, but he doubted it would have made a difference when they found out.

He led them all to the med bay where Caitlin was already set up and waiting for him, he saw the way her eyes widened as she looked at the unexpected guests and put it all together. Her eyes rested on Len and Lisa for a moment before she gave Barry that ‘what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you-Barry?’ look which he promptly ignored and sat on the medical bed.

She got him situated and asked about his morning sickness, which thankfully was starting to ease up some, which said was normal. Truthfully, he was busier watching Len and Oliver try to get the best angle to watch the screen than he was listening to Cait. He couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh as they both twisted and craned their necks to try and see. Len looked at him and gave him a smile and Barry felt his heart thump in his chest. The thief was still one of the most stunning gorgeous men he’d ever laid eyes on.

He didn’t keep his eyes locked with Barry’s like he usually did though, looking back at the screen where his baby was on full display. They could see the clear shape of the head and the torso now, as well as what Barry thought were the arms and legs, but they were a little more difficult to make out.

Barry looked back at Len to gage his reaction and saw that there were tears in the thief’s eyes. Barry had to catch his breath at the sight, he’d never seen the man show so much emotion, even when he’d killed his father he hadn’t cried. Not that Barry could really blame him, the man was a monster who had put a bomb in his daughter’s neck after all, but still. He had never expected Len to show such emotion, especially when there were so many other people around and he couldn’t even be sure if it was his baby yet.

He asked Caitlin if it was healthy and there was the slightest quiver in his voice, and then they were listening to the heartbeat and Barry could see the awe in Len’s eyes. The love on his face and Barry knew that Iris was right, that telling them had been the right decision.

 

After Lisa had left the room to make her call to Mick, Barry turned his attention to Len. “You don’t really think I’d do that to you, do you? Lock you in the pipeline.” He asked quietly. He had spent a long time beating himself up over how he had treated the Metas, yes, they were dangerous, and yes, they had planned to try to rehabilitate them, but they had locked people away in isolation without a trial and just left them to rot. He hadn’t liked the idea of sending them to Lian Yu, but he couldn’t think of a better idea, except to let them go, but if he had and they had hurt someone else then that would be his fault.

They hadn’t used the pipeline to lock anyone away since then, and Barry was somewhat upset that Len would believe that he’d do that to him. He could understand Len thinking that but it still hurt. “Didn’t know what to think Scarlet, figured I should cover all my bases at least. You didn’t exactly give me a lot to go on what with your vanishing acts.”

Barry moved to sit on the edge of the bed with his feet dangling over, he was trying to decide how best to explain everything when Cisco piped up. “Well, I think me and Cait are going to give you guys some privacy.” He said, gabbing Caitlin’s arm and dragging her toward the door. “And make sure Lisa doesn’t get into any trouble.” He added, giving Len a pointed look. Barry nodded, Cisco had already made it clear that he didn’t need or want any other details about that week.

“I think I’ll give them a hand.” Oliver said softly. Barry’s head shot up, looking at the older vigilante. It was the first thing Oliver had said since finding out about the baby, not counting his small confrontation with Lisa.

Barry realized he had no idea where Oliver’s head was with all of this, he hadn’t seemed angry or even disappointed, but then Barry had never been the best at reading him. Was he just going to leave without even talking about it? “Relax Barr, you and I can talk when you’re through with… Snart.” He said, looking Len up and down distastefully. “I have a feeling these conversations will go better one on one.” He offered Barry a small smile and then followed Cisco and Caitlin out the door.

Then he was alone with Len, realizing it was the first time they had been alone together since that night. He wasn’t even sure where to begin and Len seemed content to sit in silence, waiting for Barry to start.

“I want you to know I’d never try to trap you.” Was the first thing that came out of his mouth.

Len huffed, sounding amused. “Well obviously. You didn’t even know I was going to be here.” He said, moving to sit down on the bed next to Barry, his thigh pressed to Barry’s, sending a shock of heat through him that he had to ruthlessly suppress if he was going to get through this conversation.

“I wasn’t talking about today.” He said, realizing his brain had jumped to a different topic than the one they had already been discussing. “I was talking about with this.” He waved a hand in the general vicinity of his stomach. “Cisco and Oliver both knew about the complications with my heat, that Caitlin was almost positive that I’d never be able to have kids, but that night, you were reaching for condoms, and I stopped you.” He said, looking at Len before dropping his eyes back to the floor. “I just don’t want you to think that I lied to you and did this to try to like, trap you, or anything.” He bit his lip nervously, realizing he’d been rambling.

He wasn’t expecting Len to start laughing at him. He looked over at the Alpha, who’s shoulders were shaking slightly as he tried to suppress his mirth. Although what he thought was so funny Barry had no idea.

He took a few seconds but Len finally seemed to get control of himself. “Barry, why in the hell would that ever even cross my mind?” He was still smiling, eyes dancing with humor. “I don’t think you are even capable of being that devious, and even if you were, it would be far more likely you’d try to trap Queen, given he’s a billionaire and all, why would you ever try to trap me?” The smile had turned into a self-deprecating smirk.

Barry wanted to protest, but he wasn’t sure what to say. Sure, Len wasn’t the type of guy that most people would try to trap into a relationship, he was a thief and a killer, even if he didn’t kill people any more, he was still a criminal, he was still a dangerous man. But there was more to him than most people realized. He could be protective, just as he had been when their father threatened Lisa, he could be gentle and caring, just like he had been with Barry the night they were together. He was so much more than his criminal history.

He wanted to say something, how Len was very much worth trapping, but he wasn’t sure how the Alpha would react to Barry’s observation. Instead he bumped his shoulder into Len’s. “Just so long as you know that this wasn’t some nefarious plan.”

Len chuckled, bumping Barry’s shoulder in return. “Noted.”

They sat silently for a few seconds, Barry trying to figure what to say next. This was exactly what he had been afraid of, he didn’t know what to say, didn’t want to start babbling as he was wont to do when he was nervous, and he didn’t want to make things tense between him and Len by saying something he shouldn’t. He had resolved that now that Len knew about the baby he was going to answer his questions honestly, he owed him that much at least. “Is there anything you really want to ask?” Maybe it would be easier if Len just asked him what he wanted to know.

The thief sighed softly. “Why did you leave before I woke up?” Barry wasn’t looking at him but it sounded like he’d struggled to make himself ask that. There was also a note of hurt in his voice that caused Barry’s throat to tighten.

Of course, he would ask that first. But Barry had promised himself that he would tell Len the truth. “I freaked out a little.” He started. “More than a little, I know we agreed that what happened was just because of my heat, but it meant something.” He sighed, running his hand through his hair. “I’ve always cared about you more than I should, and when we slept together it was like I couldn’t pretend anymore that I didn’t have feelings for you, couldn’t pretend that the whole reason I slept with you in the first place wasn’t because I had feelings for you. And I just couldn’t handle the thought of you waking up and treating me like it didn’t mean anything.”

He could feel his eyes stinging and he silently cursed his damn hormones, it was definitely the hormones’ fault, that was the only reason he was tearing up. He hadn’t looked at Len throughout his confession and was slightly surprised when the man placed a hand on his cheek, turning his head and forcing him to look into Len’s eyes.

“It meant something.” He said, barely more than a whisper. “It meant more than I ever expected it to. And if I didn’t care about you Barry it never would have happened at all.” Barry felt his throat tighten at the words and then Len was pulling him in, lips brushing softly before pressing insistently to his own. The feeling was as intense as the last time they had kissed, passionate and hungry but with a softer edge to it.

He felt Len’s tongue trace the seam of his lips and he opened obediently, allowing Len to deepen the kiss and claim his mouth. He let himself get lost in the pleasure of Len’s tongue sliding across his own, heat spreading through him and pooling low in his abdomen. His lungs were beginning to burn with the need for oxygen but he didn’t want to lose this, this feeling of being so utterly possessed. He wanted this kiss to last forever, wanted to shed his clothes and pull Len on top of him and let the Alpha sink inside him, wanted to feel his knot locking them together for as long as it would last.

With great difficulty Barry pulled away, panting and fisting his hands in Len’s sweater. “Wait.” He pleaded, trying to get his brain to come back on line. “Wait, I can’t… I can’t do this Len.” He felt the other man stiffen slightly as he pulled back, leaving some space between them. When Barry finally managed to pry his eyes open he saw that Len’s eyes had hardened and for a moment he wished he could take back what he’d just said so he could see the soft look Len had had before.

“It’s not that I don’t want to,” he pleaded, “god, I want to so bad, but I just can’t.” He slowly released Len’s shirt and fought the urge to look away but he owed Len an honest explanation. “Even if it wasn’t for this whole fucked up situation, there are so many reasons why us being together is a bad idea.”

He took a moment to breathe in deeply, trying to ignore the pain in his chest. This wasn’t supposed to hurt so badly. “I can’t be the Flash while pregnant, but once the baby is born I will have to go back to saving the city, and you’re Captain Cold, you’re a criminal and you love being a criminal and I could never ask you to give that up, not for me. But I just don’t see how things would work between us that way. Not to mention that if anyone found out I would definitely lose my job. And then there’s the Rogues, I don’t even want to think about the damage that Mardon, Bivolo, and Nimbus would be causing if you weren’t keeping them in line. And I want to say that none of it matters but it does, and I hate that it does and I just…” His words choked off on a sob as tears started running down his face.

“Hey,” Len said, cupping Barry’s cheeks gently, brushing the tears away with his thumbs, “it’s okay Barry, I get it, you don’t have to explain alright.” He placed a gentle kiss on Barry’s forehead and then pulled him into a hug, running his fingers through his hair while Barry cried himself out on Len’s shoulder.

He hated this feeling, he wanted Len so badly and he didn’t want to have to think about the consequences of taking what he wanted but he had to. As much as he did want to be with Len he couldn’t see it ending anyway but badly. But it just hurt so goddamn much.

When his tears finally stopped Barry pulled back, wiping his eyes and avoiding looking at the other man. He heard Len sigh but couldn’t bring himself to lift his gaze. “And what if the baby’s mine?”

He could hear the trepidation in Len’s voice and he hated it, hated that he had put it there. “I don’t know. I don’t want to keep you from seeing your child Len, but I also don’t want my child raised around criminal activity. Or having to visit their father through an inch of glass like I did.” He felt his chest tighten as he said the words. He knew it wasn’t fair, that if the baby was Len’s he should be able to at least see it, spend time with it, but there was a part of him that was so afraid that Len’s lifestyle would cause their child harm.

After several minutes with Len not saying anything Barry finally looked up at the man, a deep frown on his face. “Len?” The Alpha startled at the sound of his name, as though he had forgotten that Barry was there.

“Sorry.” He said, clearing his throat. “Look Barry, I know that we don’t have the best history and you have no reason to trust me, that I’ve given you every reason not to trust me in fact, but I want you to know that I will never do anything to harm you again and I especially will never do anything to harm my child.” Barry opened his mouth, intending to tell Len that he did trust him, that he didn’t think Len would do anything to intentionally harm their child but Len raised a hand to cut him off. “I know, I know it’s going to take some time, but I’d like the chance to prove it to you if you’ll let me.”

Barry wasn’t sure what Len planned to do to prove it, there wasn’t a whole lot that he could do aside from walking away from his criminal life, which is something Barry wasn’t sure he could even do. “Would it be alright if I came by later in the week, once I’ve had some time to figure things out?” Barry almost couldn’t believe how shy Len sounded, he’d never heard the man be anything even resembling vulnerable, aside from that time Lewis threatened his sister.

“Yeah, yeah that would be good. I’ll be spending most of my time in the cortex trying to help Cisco and Caitlin when they go out and do the hero-ing. You can stop by whenever you want.” He knew he should try to maintain some distance if only for his own sanity and to keep his already bruised heart from getting wrapped up any more in the thief but he couldn’t make himself pull away any more. He wanted to be able to see Len even if he couldn’t be with him.

The Alpha gave him one of those rare smiles that melted Barry’s insides and made it hard for him to think. Unlike his many smirks, that made him look sexy and sarcastic, his smiles made him look softer, brighter, like he wasn’t weighed down by anything. It could rob Barry of breath and ration so easily.

After agreeing that Len would come by later in the week to talk again they moved on to other topics. The only other thing Len had seemed curious about was how things had unfolded with Cisco and Oliver.

Barry had made it a point thus far not to lie to Len and so he had told him the whole story. That Cisco had just been trying to help him, didn’t want him to suffer through the pain of his heat. Len had brought up some concerns about consent given the situation, which Barry had to roll his eyes at. He hated the way everyone always assumed that an Omega in heat had absolutely no control over themselves, yes, he was hornier, and yes, he had made a few inappropriate comments in the past but that didn’t mean he wasn’t in control of his actions. Anyone who said they had no control over themselves during their heat was just making excuses.

Even when his heat was at its worst he had never slept with someone that he didn’t want to, had never been unable to make a conscious choice. He told Len as much, and how he was being maybe a little hypocritical, considering they’d also had sex while he was in heat, even if he hadn’t been in crippling pain at the time.

The Alpha had frowned furiously, not liking the idea that he had taken advantage of Barry. The thing was though, Barry didn’t feel taken advantage of, Cisco and Len had both offered and he could have turned them down if he’d really wanted to. And with Oliver, Barry had been the one to initiate things. And Len really hadn’t been happy with that revelation, his frown morphing into a scowl and then a glare.

Barry couldn’t help laughing at the thief’s reaction, and he’d seemed a little less putout when Barry had explained why he’d slept with Oliver, that it had been a vain attempt to get over his feelings for Len. He’d stuttered and blushed over that explanation, ducking his head and refusing to look the other man in the eye.

All things considered the conversation hadn’t gone terribly, Len planned to come back in a few days and talk some more and seeing his face when Caitlin handed him one of the sonogram pictures, the soft smile and glistening of his eyes as he ran a finger over the image had filled Barry’s chest with more emotion than he knew what to do with. He had had to stop himself from asking Len to stay longer when he and Lisa started toward the exit.

“Barry.” The sound of Oliver’s voice drew him from his thoughts of Len and his desperate hoping that somehow things would work out for them. He turned, eyes locking with the older vigilante who was standing beside Cisco’s chair, and his stomach dropped. He had no idea how Oliver was going to react to his explanation, but he envisioned disappointment and lots of glowering.

“Ollie.” He had to swallow before he could say more, his throat sticking and his heart hammering in his chest. He also felt slightly lightheaded and he wondered if he passed out right now if he could just avoid this whole conversation. Which was cowardly, he owed Oliver an explanation and he was determined to be as honest with him as he had been with Len. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t put it off for just a few minutes. “Would you mind if we went to get some food while we talk? I need even more calories now than I used too.”

He watched as a wave of concern washed across Oliver’s face. “Of course, Barr. I’ll drive and lunch is on me.” Barry felt a little guilty, since becoming the Flash it had become ridiculously expensive to feed him, now it was even worse. “It’s fine Barry,” Oliver said, heading off his protest, “I’m happy to do it.”

Barry bit his lip, wondering if he was taking advantage of the situation. “Alright,” he conceded, “but no taking me to some fancy restaurant that costs a fortune, since I’m gonna cost a fortune to feed anyway.”

Oliver frowned a little but nodded after a few seconds. “No Big Belly Burger.” Caitlin said, coming in from the med bay, and handing Oliver one of the pictures she’d printed. “You need something that’s not fast food. Make sure he eats something healthy.” She told Oliver in a stage whisper that had Barry rolling his eyes.

“I’m not that bad, I’ve gotten a lot better about not eating junk.” She gave him a disbelieving look at his pronouncement. “Alright, at least not eating _just_ junk.” He amended. “Happy?” She gave him a bright smile and nodded and he decided it was definitely time to get out of here, Oliver couldn’t be nearly as overprotective as Caitlin. At least he hoped not. He said a quick farewell to Caitlin and Cisco and led Oliver out of the building.

The ride to the café Oliver picked was silent, though not in an oppressive way, both of them simply lost in their own thoughts. Barry hadn’t ever been to this particular café but it was a nice place, comfortable tables, but not too high end, the atmosphere was light but with a touch of intimacy, it was neither too big or too small. It had a charming quality to it that Barry could appreciate.

He was somewhat bemused to discover that there didn’t seem to be an unhealthy option on the menu and he couldn’t help but wonder if Oliver had chosen this place for that reason, though he still felt a twinge of embarrassment at the look he got ordering so much food. Noticing his reaction Oliver placed a hand on his shoulder and ordered more food than Barry thought he was capable of eating.

He was relieved at least that the prices weren’t exorbitant either, though they were a little pricier than he would have preferred, but he couldn’t really argue that it was probably worth it since everything was organic and freshly made.

They made their way to a table and waited a few minutes for their drinks to arrive before either of them attempted to start the conversation.

“So.” Oliver started, drawing the word out slightly as Barry finally looked up at him. “If Iris hadn’t ambushed you were ever planning on telling me?” Barry didn’t miss the small note of hurt that Oliver no doubt had tried very hard to suppress.

“Of course, I was going to tell you Ollie, I just hadn’t figured out how yet.” He said, voice barely above a whisper. He didn’t like the feeling that he had hurt so many people with his fearful decision. The guilt was already eating him alive. He staunchly stared at the table until he felt Oliver’s hand on his.

“It’s okay Barry, if our positions were reversed I don’t know that I would have done any differently. I just have to ask; do you actually want this or are you just doing what you think is the right thing?” Oliver rubbed a thumb along his knuckles in a comforting gesture and Barry took a ragged breath, trying to decide how best to answer that. He had had his doubts sure, and there were plenty of problems to face in the coming months and years, but he did want this. Wanted it more than he could express.

He looked back up at Oliver and let out the breath he’d been holding. “I do want this Ollie, I was afraid at first yeah, I mean this wasn’t supposed to be an issue, I spent weeks crying myself to sleep when Caitlin first told me I’d never be able to have kids. Then I started thinking that maybe the universe just knew something I didn’t, that it was just meant to be, so I moved on.” He sighed softly, running a hand through his hair. “And this, this situation is definitely not ideal, I mean even if there wasn’t all this intrigue about who the father is, I can’t be the Flash and it’s already putting a strain on Cisco and Caitlin.”

He huffed, fighting the guilty feeling sliding through him. “They pretend like it’s not a big deal, but I can see the toll it takes on them. And then there’s this underlying fear that something is going to go wrong, that I’m gonna lose it or that years from now some Meta is gonna figure out who I am and come after my child, or that one of these days I’m not going to make it out of a fight and then my kid is gonna lose me just like I lost my parents.”

He could feel the starting of a panic attack, his lungs refusing to draw in air and his vision darkening at the edges. “Barry, I need you to breathe.” He heard Oliver’s voice and felt a warm pressure surround him. “Just breathe Barr.” He obeyed the order as best he could, his lungs protesting. It took a few minutes but he calmed back down, this one hadn’t been nearly as bad as the last one, thank god. As he regained the ability to focus Barry realized that Oliver had wrapped him in a hug and that the was the pressure he’d been feeling.

“Sorry.” He whispered, releasing the hold he hadn’t even realized he had on Oliver’s arm.

Oliver slowly released him and moved back to his seat. “You okay?” He asked, concern evident on his face. Barry didn’t really trust his voice yet so he settled for a nod, then took a sip of his water, the cool liquid instantly soothing his parched throat.

Oliver waited until Barry had calmed enough to actually look the Alpha in the eye before he said anything else. “Look Barry,” he started, running a hand down his face, “I know I was the one who made you think that we couldn’t have a mate, or kids, _and_ live this life, but I was wrong. You don’t have a responsibility to protect this city at the expense of yourself or your happiness. I’m not saying it’ll be easy or there won’t be dangers, but if this is what you want, just know that you are not alone here. I want you to know that I’m here for you, even if it isn’t mine, anything you need all you have to do is ask.”

His hand had snaked across the table and clasped Barry’s again, rubbing soothing circles into his palm. Barry wished he could blame his hormones on the prickling sensation in his eyes but he knew that even if he wasn’t full of stupid pregnancy hormones he probably would have teared up at Oliver’s words.

He nodded mutely, swallowing the lump in his throat. He was saved from having to reply by their food being delivered, he had to admit it all looked delicious. They were silent for a few minutes as they ate and then just as he took a bite Oliver asked in a not-so-subtle tone, “So Snart?”

Barry nearly choked on the baked turkey sandwich he was eating and glared at Oliver when he finally managed to swallow it with a drink of his water. “Um… yeah, yeah we were… um, together, once.” He stuttered, his face heating up.

“I take it he was the one you got involved with that you shouldn’t have.” It was more a statement than a question but he nodded anyway. Oliver sighed heavily. “I know I don’t need to tell you that getting involved with one of your villains is a bad idea.” And there was that disapproving tone he’d been waiting for. “And if he took advantage of the situation, took advantage of you, then I will kill him.”

Barry’s head shot up, looking at Oliver in alarm. “No Ollie, it… it wasn’t like that, you don’t have to like, defend my honor or anything.” He hurried to say, though Oliver looked less than convinced. “He… he was great, really sweet actually,” he fought the blush he could feel rising in his cheeks, “he didn’t take advantage of me, he was actually kind of upset I went out to that club when I was in heat and could be in pain at any minute, and yeah I’m the Flash but that doesn’t mean that bad things couldn’t have happened, and I’m rambling, sorry.” He took a breath and tried to organize his thoughts once more.

“Look, what happened between me and Len didn’t just happen because of my heat, it’s been building for a long time, I mean I was always physically attracted to him, who wouldn’t be? With those eyes and that smirk and those _hands_.” Before Barry could go any further down that line of thinking Oliver cleared his throat. “Right, anyway, I know he’s a criminal and I know he does bad things, but he’s not a bad guy Ollie, he’s not a bad person.” The look Oliver gave him was disbelieving at best. “There’s more to him than most people realize, he can be sweet and caring, he’s protective, and if he didn’t have Lewis for a father he might not have gone down the path to becoming a criminal. I mean if Joe hadn’t taken me in I could have ended up just like him, even worse maybe.”

Oliver sighed and ran a hand down his face. “Barry, I know you want to see the good in everyone, and god knows if it weren’t for that you never would have become my friend, but Snart is a thief, and a murderer, and he has tried to kill you in the past.”

“I know, but I don’t see good in people if there isn’t any to see. There is plenty of good in you despite what you’ve done, and I know there’s some in him too. He doesn’t hurt people any more, keeps the other Rogues in line, and he would never hurt me Ollie. Especially not now.” Truthfully Len hadn’t tried to hurt him in a long time, and Barry knew deep down in his soul that Len would never try to hurt him now that he was pregnant, even if the baby wasn’t possibly his.

“I just want you to be careful Barr. I’ve been down this road before, thinking I could make someone into a better person and it blew up in my face.”

“I know, but I’m not trying to make him a better person, I just want him to realize that he already is. And I am being careful, I already told Len that as things stand now we can’t be together.” He felt his chest contract painfully as he said the words. “It’s just too complicated right now and being enemies, it would just end in heartbreak.” Not that he was experiencing that feeling right now anyway.

“I’m sorry Barr.” Oliver said, taking his hand again. Barry nodded and stubbornly fought the tears that were threatening to fall.

They passed the rest of lunch discussing less distressing subjects, Oliver was more insistent on being involved than Cisco, he made it clear he would be there for Barry and the baby either way, but if it was his he wanted to be a father to it, which Barry couldn’t really blame him.

They spent most of the afternoon together, before Oliver had to head back to Starling, he had a meeting the next day that couldn’t be put off, though he lingered as long as possible. “It’s okay Ollie, you have responsibilities, I promise I’ll call if anything comes up.” He hugged the Alpha who huffed but returned the hug anyway. “Now you better get back before Felicity gets too curious or worried, she’s probably already worked herself up into a small freak out over Iris calling you in the first place.”

The look on Oliver’s face said he figured the same. “Do you care if I tell the team what’s going on? I mean it can wait until we find out, but it would be easier if I didn’t have to make up excuses for why I’m going to be spending more time here.”

Barry thought about telling him that he didn’t need to come check on him constantly but he figured that was a battle he was going to lose so he didn’t bother. “Go ahead and tell them. You shouldn’t have to keep secrets from your team.” Not that they’d be able to keep it a secret for long anyway, it would just take one call from someone on Team Arrow to someone on Team Flash and the cat would be out of the bag. He gave Oliver another hug and then watched as he headed to his car and sped away.

 

A few days had passed since he’d come clean to Len and Oliver and now Barry was freaking out just a little. He hadn’t heard from Len and he couldn’t help but wonder if the thief had changed his mind, didn’t actually want anything to do with the baby. He knew he was being ridiculous, it hadn’t even been a week yet and Len just said he needed some time to figure things out, there was no reason for him to freak out.

Knowing that didn’t really help though, his brain just kept circling back to what if’s and maybe’s. It didn’t help that he hadn’t heard from Oliver either.

After Oliver had left he had made up with Iris, there had been apologies and tears and promises that from now on she wouldn’t interfere again. Not that it hadn’t worked out for the best, but still. She had been really sorry, and he couldn’t stay mad at her for long even if he wanted to. Although the noninterference thing had gone out the window pretty quickly, she’d shown up everyday to drive him to work and then after his shift she’d drive him to STAR Labs, despite his protests she didn’t think he should be flashing anywhere. Unfortunately, she’d gotten everyone else on board with the idea and now even when she was busy Joe or Caitlin or Cisco would show up to drive him.

It was a sweet idea aside from the fact that he was damn near losing his mind not being able to use his powers. He hadn’t gone so long without getting rid of his excess energy since becoming the Flash and he hadn’t realized just how jittery and on edge it would make him. But that was nothing compared to how he felt when Cisco went out to confront a Metahuman at the Museum. Seriously, was there nowhere else in the city for these people to rob?

Barry and Caitlin were both in the cortex, watching the fight unfold on the monitors, having hacked into the street cams surrounding the area. The Meta, a woman with dark brown hair and eyes, with some sort of telekinetic ability was really giving Cisco a hard time. Every time he’d get close to her she’d hurl something through the air at him, forcing him to jump out of the way or be crushed. “Try to hit her with a blast Cisco.” Barry said, tensing with this feeling of uselessness as he had to watch his friend battle a dangerous Meta.

Cisco didn’t respond verbally but did send a vibrational blast toward the Meta, only for it to hit some sort of barrier and ricochet into a parked car, sending it flying. “ _Uh oh_.” They heard Cisco say as the Meta shrieked angrily and started flinging more debris at him. Cisco was dodging left and right, trying to avoid broken pieces of pavement and now the parts of the car that his blast had hit. “ _Uh, guys, I’m open to any ideas here_.” He said, sounding out of breath and a little bit desperate.

Barry ran a hand through his hair in agitation. “You have a pair of Meta cuffs, try to open a portal behind her and get the cuffs on her so she can’t use her powers.” He suggested, watching on the screen as Cisco continued to dodge her attacks and opened a portal before jumping through. A moment later he appeared behind her but went flying when he tried to grab her and put the cuffs on her. “Cisco!” He couldn’t help his panicked shout as Cisco went flying and landed hard on the pavement, preparing to flash there and get Cisco out of there if he had to.

He could see the wicked smile on the woman’s face as she took a few steps toward Cisco as he struggled to his feet. She lifted her arms and two pieces of concrete hovered at her sides menacingly. “Get out of there Cisco.” He said, unable to tear his eyes away from the horrifying tableau.

Cisco lifted his arms, apparently planning to either attack with another blast or maybe deflect her incoming attack when a beam of white shot between Cisco and the Meta, pulling both of their focus. Barry watched as Len stepped into view of the camera, decked out in full Captain Cold gear, the gun he’d just fired resting atop his shoulder, still clutched in his hand. “ _Guys, things just got a lot more complicated_.” Cisco said nervously.

Barry’s brain took a few seconds to catch back up. What was Len doing? Was the Meta a new Rogue he had recruited? What did it mean that he would be involved in this the same week Barry had told him he didn’t want his child being raised around criminal activity? Before he could even begin to try to answer any of those questions the woman spoke. “ _Thanks for the assist Cold, but I don’t need any help_.” She gave Cisco a malicious smile and Barry felt his stomach drop.

“Cisco get out of there, you can’t take them both on.” It hurt him to even consider what Len might be planning. God, he had been so stupid, of course the man wouldn’t stop being a criminal, didn’t matter if he might have a kid on the way, he was still a liar and thief. Barry wanted to kick himself for believing otherwise but first he had to make sure Cisco got out of there in one piece.

“ _Funny that you assume I was assisting you_.” He heard Len drawl a moment before he aimed his gun at the Meta and fired. The ice from the gun didn’t ricochet on contact with the shield surrounding her but rather coated it in ice, creating a shell around her. Barry briefly worried what would happen to her if her powers failed but mostly he was just relieved that Len hadn’t fired at Cisco. The relief was short-lived however when the ice exploded outward knocking Cisco down again and causing Len to have to dive for cover.

“Cisco, are you okay?” He nearly shouted into the microphone. The next few seconds were pure chaos as the Meta screamed with rage while the cold and heat guns both collided repeatedly with her shield and at the same time small explosions erupted at her feet. Barry caught a glimpse of Axel dashing back and forth, tossing bombs and laughing maniacally. Fortunately, the bombs seemed more tailored to causing distraction than doing actual damage.

While Len, Mick and Axel kept the Meta’s focus on them, Peek-a-Boo popped up beside Cisco with Lisa, who she released and then poofed away again. “ _Hey, you gonna lay around all day while we have all the fun?_ ” She asked, leaning down to grip Cisco’s arm.

“What the hell is going on?” Barry wasn’t even aware he said the words out loud until a voice crackled across the comms.

“ _Relax Flash, we’re on the side of the angels tonight_.” He recognized Hartley’s voice and almost asked how he had gotten on their comms, but really, he wasn’t that surprised, it probably wasn’t even the first time he’d hacked their frequency. How had this even happened, and what did it mean? Were the Rogues actually planning to switch to the hero side, was that what Len had meant when he said he would prove that Barry could trust him?

He had to choke down a few tears at the thought, now was not the time to get all emotional. The Rogues certainly seemed to be holding their own against the Meta, Len and Mick firing their guns, Axel tossing bombs, and Shawna poofing them out of the way of any incoming rubble she tossed their way. Barry could make out the strain on her face even through the camera footage and when Mardon threw a bolt of lighting at her she screamed and collapsed, either from not having a defense against lighting or just being too tired to defend against all of them at once.

As soon as she’d screamed the rest of them had laid off their attacks and Shawna popped over to check that she was still alive, nodding at Cold and Barry released the breath he’d been holding. “ _Cuff her before she wakes up_.” Cisco said, holding out a pair of Meta cuffs and leaning heavily against Lisa.

“ _Lisa cuff the Meta, Shawna get Ramon back to STAR Labs so the Doc can take a look at him_.” Len said, holstering his gun and watching as his orders were obeyed. “ _Cops should be moving in any second, so let’s get the hell out of here_.” As fog surrounded the group Shawna appeared with Cisco and handed him over to Barry and Caitlin without a word, before promptly disappearing in a puff of smoke, Barry couldn't even begin to care that she had seen his face and would now know who the Flash was. Cisco seemed to be okay other being sore and bruised so Barry let Caitlin help him to the med bay and he stayed behind to make sure the police took custody of the Meta.

He wasn’t sure if Hartley had kept the comms open after the Rogues made their exit so he hesitantly spoke into the microphone. “Len?” He held his breath and waited for a few seconds before he heard the slight crackle on the other end.

“ _See you soon Scarlet_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me. *Hides behind the couch fearfully*  
> I know that kiss was a bit of tease and then Barry put the kabosh on the whole thing, but I promise it'll get better. Poor Barry is just a little overwhelmed at the moment and not thinking clearly. But it will all work out in the end, he can't possibly resist Len for long. Especially not with those hands. *Wink*
> 
> But hey look at that, the Rogues came to the rescue and maybe that'll make things a little easier on Barry. Not to mention, it should be fun to see how everyone struggles to get past their grudges and prejudices in the future, considering the sordid past between Team Flash and the Rogues. 
> 
> Anyway, hopefully you enjoyed and next chapter is going to be just absolutely dripping with angst. So that should be some fun too.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver tells Team Arrow the news and Team Flash has a meeting with the Rogues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I am blown away by all the lovely comments and kudos, you guys are awesome.
> 
> Timeline, what timeline? As you may have noticed I have been disregarding certain things, such as Eddie and Ronnie being dead even though technically they haven't appeared in this fic, yet. So I decided I was going to keep ignoring things and so Laurel, Sara and Roy are currently a part of Team Arrow. I don't really care who was there when since this is my fic and I do what I want.
> 
> Right, so the first part of this chapter is in Oliver's POV and it is angsty af. Cause you know, it's Oliver. And not everybody on Team Arrow is happy with the news. But there are some family feels so it's not all bad.
> 
> We also get to see what happens next between Team Flash and the Rogues, there is a fair amount of fluff in there before it gets angsty again. So be warned.

Oliver had spent the majority of the time Barry was talking to Snart trying to calm himself down. Barry had already gone off on Iris and he was afraid that one wrong word or facial tick could send him into another meltdown.

He could sympathize, he was a heartbeat away from having a breakdown of his own. Pregnant, how the hell could this be happening? This was not supposed to happen, Oliver had sat and comforted Barry more than once after Caitlin told him he couldn’t have kids, this should not have been an issue.

He was not ready for this to be an issue, he wasn’t ready to be a father. Hell, he wasn’t even ready to be in a relationship with anyone. Not to mention, how was he supposed to raise a kid when he was moonlighting as a masked vigilante? His lifestyle was no more conducive to raising a child than it would have been before the island, when he was drinking and sleeping his way through half the population of Starling.

He was not ready for this, and yet he couldn’t make himself take the out that Barry had given them all. Not only could he not leave Barry to deal with this on his own, he couldn’t bring himself to walk away from his child. It didn’t matter right now if they didn’t know who the father was, it could be him. That could be his baby.

God, this was going to be so complicated. How was he supposed to make room in his life for a kid? How was he going to keep his child safe when there was always some new threat trying to rip everything he cared about away?

Even if he could stop being the Arrow, he hadn’t exactly had the best role models for parenthood. He loved his parents, but he could admit they weren’t exactly stellar examples, and most of his friend’s parents hadn’t been much better. At least maybe he had an example of what not to do. But was that really enough?

Maybe he could talk to Detective West, he had done a good job with both Iris and Barry, but that was assuming he didn’t try to shoot Oliver on sight for getting Barry pregnant. Even if it wasn’t his baby, the man might still shoot him just for sleeping with his son. Maybe not Joe then. Maybe he could get a hold of Henry Allen’s number, he was sure Felicity could help with that. Even if the man was off in the wilderness somewhere he couldn’t be that hard to track down. But had Barry even told him yet, at this point he wasn’t sure who was aware of the situation?

Obviously, Iris, Caitlin and Cisco had known, and now he and the Snart siblings knew as well. And that was a whole other issue to tackle, how had Barry gotten involved with Leonard Snart of all people? Clearly Oliver hadn’t driven home the don’t-sleep-with-your-supervillains-rule as well as he might have hoped. It never ended well.

Also, there was always the possibility that Snart had taken advantage of the situation. And given that Oliver was almost positive that Snart was the person Barry had gotten involved with when he shouldn’t have and developed some sort of feelings for, he really hoped that wasn’t the case. And if he had taken advantage of Barry, Oliver was more than prepared to put a couple dozen arrows through the Alpha.

He had mostly calmed himself by the time he and Barry went to lunch, he was still freaking out on the inside but he at least managed to keep it below the surface. Thank god, because Barry was doing enough freaking out for the both of them. Not that Oliver could blame him, he had almost all the same worries Oliver had, plus all the crazy pregnancy hormones, it was a wonder the kid wasn’t a sobbing mess on the floor.

He wasn’t sure that he believed Barry’s assurances about Snart, or even himself really, but he decided to let it go for now. Barry needed support more than a lecture on why he shouldn’t trust the bad guys. And Oliver needed some time to process all of this.

He hadn’t had enough time to even figure out how he was feeling, other than terrified, by the time he made it back to Starling. He kept going over and over it in his head but he couldn’t seem to picture this in any way that didn’t end in disaster, he was honest enough with himself at least to know that he wasn’t father material. He was too dark and too broken and not a good enough person to be a good father. How the hell was he going to make this work?

His self-doubts and recriminations circled through his mind all the way to the Arrowcave, and damn it he needed to stop letting people name things, everything around him didn’t need to have the word arrow in the name. He wasn’t Batman.

He was not expecting anyone to be there this early in the evening, though he supposed he should have, and he certainly was not expecting his entire team to be there. Goddamn he was not prepared to deal with them all at once, especially not when he was still so freaked out about the whole thing. He should try to leave, turn around and walk out and deal with it later. But if they got in touch with Team Flash, wondering why he wasn’t back yet, someone would let it slip and then he’d be harangued for not telling them himself.

Felicity was the first to notice him and she practically shouted his name when she saw him. “Oh my god, Oliver, what is going on? Did something happen to Barry? I mean Iris was the one who called you, and usually it would be one of the others if there was something they needed your help with, either Barry or Cisco usually call, and Barry hasn’t been doing any Flash work recently, and not only has he not been taking down criminals but I checked and the Flash hasn’t even been spotted running anywhere in a few weeks. Which is weird because Barry runs almost everywhere, and if he’s not running that means there must be something wrong, because he never just stops running or going after bad guys unless something is wrong. Is he okay? Did he get hurt? What is going on?”

Oliver couldn’t even bring himself to interrupt during her rapid-fire speech, not that she paused long enough for him to have said anything anyway. Her tirade had drawn the attention of the others who all approached and were looking at him expectantly.

He took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves. First things first. “Barry’s fine. He’s not injured anyway, he just can’t be the Flash for a while.” He knew he shouldn’t bother hedging but he wanted to put this off as much as possible.

“What do you mean he can’t be the Flash for a while? What happened, did some Meta whammy him and cause him to lose his powers again?” He held up his hand to stop Felicity from asking anything further. He couldn’t stall, he just needed to get this over with.

“No, he didn’t lose his powers, he can’t be out doing vigilante work right now because he’s pregnant.” He hated the little curl of panic that went through him when he said the word, and he didn’t really like the look of shock that crossed all his teammates faces. He did take just the smallest bit satisfaction in having rendered Felicity speechless though.

His sister was the first to break the silence. “I thought Caitlin told him he could never get pregnant.”

He sighed heavily, he had thought the same thing. “Apparently never came a lot sooner than anybody expected.” Jesus, he was tired and he was starting to get a headache and he just wanted to go home and not deal with this. He looked around at the faces in the room, Sara and Laurel stood side by side, both sweaty from sparring a minute ago, Thea was standing in front of Roy who had a hand around her waist, and Diggle was a few steps away from Felicity, his arms crossed over his chest, her fingers twisting together anxiously.

“Is that why they called, they gonna need help while Barry’s out of commission?” Dig asked.

“No, that’s not why Iris called, Caitlin and Cisco say they have it handled, though from time to time they may need some assistance.” He felt the eyes of his team, his family, on him and it was like a weight pressing him down. “Iris called because she thought I should know because there’s a possibility I’m the father.”  
In the silence that followed his statement he half expected to hear a cricket chirping in the background. It would have been comical if his whole life hadn’t been turned upside down by this news.

“Congratulations.” Roy said, though it sounded suspiciously like a question.

“Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean possibility that you’re the father? Who else could it be?” Laurel asked, while Sara seemed to be trying to hold back a smile.

“I can’t give you names, if you want to know you’re gonna have to ask Barry. But the week we slept together he was with two other Alphas.”

This time Sara didn’t try to hold back her smile. “Damn, who knew Barry had it in him, so to speak.” Her tone sounded almost complimentary but he didn’t appreciate the implications and he gave her a dark glower.

“That isn’t funny Sara.” He didn’t even bother to keep the growl out of his voice.

“No, and neither is any of the rest of this.” Felicity snapped. “What the hell were you thinking Oliver? How could you do that?” Her fists were clenched at her sides and her eyes were narrowed to angry slits. “Barry is your friend; how could you take advantage of him?”

Oliver felt himself tense, instantly defensive. He hadn’t taken advantage of Barry, Barry himself didn’t even think so and had worried that he had taken advantage of Oliver. “I didn’t take advantage of him Felicity, we were both consenting adults and _he_ initiated things. I admit it wasn’t the best idea sleeping together but neither of us did anything we didn’t want to do.” He had to believe that, had to believe that Barry was sincere in his feelings on the matter.

“Oh, come on Oliver, if he’s pregnant then that means he was in heat when you two had sex, we all know that he doesn’t have the best judgement when he’s in heat. Which was clearly the case if he was with not just you but two other Alphas, because _Barry_ is not the kinda guy to sleep around.” She said acerbically. He had to clench his jaw to hold back the angry retort he wanted to make.

He knew he couldn’t deny her not so subtle assessment, he had slept around plenty, especially before the island. Hell, he’d slept with two out of the six people in this room. Two out of five if he didn’t count his sister and he was absolutely sure she belonged nowhere near his list of potential bedmates. Still, he’d never slept with anyone who wasn’t on board with it, the very idea of it sickened him and he was furious that Felicity would imply such a thing.

“He was mostly over his heat by then, and he was completely capable of deciding what he wanted. And I really don’t appreciate you making it sound like raped him.” He growled, muscles tense and nearly shaking with rage. “Especially considering that none of this has a goddamn thing to do with you.” He was nearly shouting by the end and everyone recoiled, aside from Sara who could hold her own in a fight against him.

“Hey, why don’t we all just calm down.” Dig said, voice level and soothing, not that it helped much, he was too angry and apparently so was Felicity.

“Even if Barry was in his right mind at the time, sleeping with him was still a horrible idea. Barry thinks of you like a mentor, and he has never been good at separating emotions and sex, this is just gonna have him all confused.” She huffed angrily. “You’re just going to end up breaking his heart Oliver.”

He wanted to yell that he wasn’t the one Barry had confusing feelings for but it wasn’t his place to say anything about that. Barry had told him about him about Snart in confidence and he wasn’t going to break his trust like that. Besides, what would it really matter? She obviously believed that Oliver wasn’t capable of having any type of meaningful relationship without fucking it up, didn’t matter that he and Barry weren’t planning to have a romantic relationship.

He didn’t want to deal with this right now, he’d told them about the pregnancy he didn’t owe them anything else. He didn’t bother saying anything else just turned and started back toward the elevator. He ignored the calls from the others as he walked, ignored everything until Dig caught up to him and grabbed his arm. “Hey, let’s go get a drink.” The other man said as they stepped into the elevator.

Oliver didn’t have it in him to protest, and he really could use a drink right about now. They ended up at Diggle and Lyla’s place, given that Oliver was the Mayor he didn’t want to risk anyone overhearing their conversation in a bar and it ending up in some tabloid. Yet another thing he’d have to worry about if the baby was his.

Dig produced a large bottle of Scotch and two glasses, filling them both and handing one to Oliver who had already sat down on the sofa, mind weary and feeling totally drained. “You want to talk about it?” The other man asked, sitting down in a chair off to the side.

“Not really.” He replied, taking a liberal drink from his glass and feeling the burn run down his throat and settle in his stomach.

“Look Oliver, I know what you’re thinking.” Dig said, leaning so his elbows rested on his knees.

Oliver huffed a laugh, though there was very little humor in it. “Really Dig, because I’ve been going over this almost all day and I don’t even know what I’m thinking at this point.” He took another drink hoping the burn would ground him and maybe the alcohol could quiet his swirling thoughts just a little.

“I know you Oliver,” he said, pinning him with a look, “and right now I know you’re freaking out. Wondering how you’re gonna juggle being the vigilante, the Mayor and be a father, how you can keep you’re kid safe when there’s always some new bad guy trying take everything from you, how you can raise them without making the same mistakes your parents made.” Leave it to Dig to cut through all the bullshit and pinpoint all his fears. “But Oliver, you aren’t your parents, you have proven that you can do the right thing when they couldn’t.”

He felt his throat tighten a little at that, he had tried to make up for his parent’s shortcomings but that didn’t mean he wasn’t capable of making the same kind of mistakes. Both of them had believed that they were doing what was best for their family, could he really say he wouldn’t do the same thing? He’d already made decisions that hurt those he cared about. “As for the other stuff, you are not alone Oliver. I know it might have felt that way with the way Felicity reacted, and the rest of us I think were too surprised to say anything, but we’re all here for you, and Barry, and we’ll all be here for your kid too.”

A part of him really wanted to trust what Dig was saying, but another part could only see all the potential disasters that could come from this. “I don’t even know yet if it is mine.” He said, running a hand through his hair.

“Do you want it to be?”

Did he? Not that it would matter what he wanted, either he was or he wasn’t. “I don’t know. Either way this has already gotten complicated.” He downed the rest of his drink while Dig stared at him with an unfathomable expression.

“I think you do know, and I think you’re afraid to admit it. I think the whole idea of this terrifies you and I think you don’t want to admit how you feel because then you’ll have to deal with those feelings. It’s okay to be scared Oliver, and it doesn’t make you a bad person that you’re not a hundred percent on board with being a father yet.” Oliver let out a deep breath, there was still a heaviness in his chest despite Dig’s obvious understanding.

He didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how to convey his feelings on the matter. Mostly because he was torn, on the one hand he didn’t want to be the father, didn’t want to have to deal with all of the problems that would come with it, and on the other hand there was a part of him that wanted it badly, wanted something of his own that would be his and that nobody could take away from him. Which was a horrible thought really, the baby wasn’t an object that he could stake a claim over, and Barry had made it very clear that while he wouldn’t keep him away he wouldn’t tolerate any of them pushing too far.

“I’m torn Dig. I want it to be mine and at the same time I don’t. And it doesn’t really matter because Barry needs the support right now, I’m not going to let him go through this alone and if it is mine I’m not going to let him go through raising a child all on his own either.”

“I don’t think Barry is ever going to be on his own, he has a whole team and a family that is going to help and support him, so don’t make this about that. Take some time, figure out what you really want and then be honest with him.” If only it were that simple, but maybe that wasn’t such a bad idea, take a few days and figure things out.

“Thanks John.” He said, feeling at least slightly better about things.

“Anytime man, and for what its worth, no matter how you might feel right now, there is no other feeling in the world like holding your child for the first time. It makes it all worth it.” Dig smiled, clearly speaking from experience. He finished his own drink and then poured them both another and they sat, sipping in a comfortable silence.

He left Dig’s not long after and headed back to his own apartment, the alcohol hadn’t done much to quiet his frayed nerves but he was at least slightly more relaxed than he had been. He really just wanted to get home, take a shower and go to sleep, he could deal with all of this in the morning.

Leave it to his sister to throw a monkey wrench in his plan. “Ollie.” Her voice echoed around the room as he opened the door to his apartment. “Where the hell have you been?”

He sighed deeply, why couldn’t he have just one night to process all of this? “I was at Dig’s.”

“Oh, well I guess that’s why he never came back either. Anyway, I wanted to tell you that Felicity was way out of line, she didn’t have any right to say those things, and that’s what we all told her after you left.” He was a little surprised the others would bother to try to defend him given his history with Laurel and Sara, though his sister sticking up for him wasn’t unexpected.

“Thank you, Thea, but you don’t have to defend my actions. Felicity wasn’t exactly wrong in her assessment.” He removed his jacket and laid it against the back of a chair as he walked closer, which was apparently a mistake, since as soon as he was in striking distance she smacked him in the arm a few times. “Hey!” He said indignantly, trying to avoid the next incoming slap.

“Don’t you dare say that Ollie. I know you would never take advantage of Barry, and what she was implying wasn’t fair to you or him. I don’t know what happened,” she said, holding up a hand dramatically, “I definitely don’t want to hear about your sex life, but whatever happened I know you didn’t do that.” He was relieved that at least she didn’t think he was capable of doing something like that, even if Felicity did.

He probably wouldn’t have reacted so angrily if she hadn’t accused him of that. “Thanks, Speedy. As long as you know that.”

“Of course, I know that Ollie, you have been a bit of a slut in the past,” she said with a smile that took any sting out of the words, “but you never would have slept with anyone who wasn’t a hundred percent on board. And I have never bought into that whole ‘Omegas-can’t-control-themselves-during-heat’ nonsense, and I have had plenty of Omega friends who are offended by the notion. In fact, I can’t believe Felicity would even think that as an Omega herself.” She said disgustedly.

“Yeah, but Barry’s heat is different than other Omega’s.”

“Look, I know he has to deal with the pain, but that’s really the only difference. And I know we all tease him about the Ronnie comment but I had a friend who made inappropriate comments all the time when she was in heat, didn’t mean she couldn’t keep herself from sleeping with every Alpha that walked by, it just meant that during her heat her brain to mouth filter was a little looser. And honestly Barry’s is a little bad to begin with.” She laughed, no doubt remembering numerous times that that had been the case.

Oliver smiled, remembering Barry’s rambling earlier today. If he had a proper filter in the first place he certainly wouldn’t have sat there talking about Snart’s hands of all things. His sister was right, Barry hadn’t felt taken advantage of, the only person with a problem was Felicity, not that he could understand why.

“It’s not about you by the way,” she said, probably reading his facial expression, “well, it is, but not because you did anything wrong. She’s upset because she’s jealous, which while I understand still doesn’t give her the right to talk to you the way she did.” He couldn’t even think of any way to say how grateful he was for her so instead he just pulled her into a hug which she reciprocated enthusiastically. “And just so you know, you are going to be a great dad and I am going to be the worlds best aunt.”

He couldn’t help a small laugh at her assessment. He had no doubt that she would be a terrific aunt, but he had plenty of doubts that he would be a good dad. Still, he was touched that she thought so. “You will definitely be a wonderful aunt, Speedy, and you’re already the worlds best sister.” He said, pressing a kiss to the edge of her hairline.

“Aww, you big softy.” She pulled back and gave him a smile. “I love you Ollie.”

“Love you too Speedy.”

 

* * * * *

 

Barry didn’t have to wait long after Len told him he’d see him soon. It was only about thirty minutes before he, Lisa and Mick showed up in the cortex.

Caitlin had already treated most of Cisco’s wounds, mostly superficial bumps and bruises, though he did have a minor concussion. But it could have been a lot worse if Len and the other Rogues hadn’t shown up. He couldn’t help the little flare of happiness in his chest whenever he thought about it, the surge of hope.

He wasn’t sure when to expect Len, all he’d said was ‘see you soon, Scarlet’ and soon could have meant a lot of things, from five minutes to days to a week or more, there was no way to tell. He hadn’t expected to see him that night, especially not with Lisa and Mick flanking him as he strolled in like he owned the place. Barry would like to say that his knees didn’t go weak at the sight of him, that his heart wasn’t pounding or his stomach fluttering, but he couldn’t. The sight of him was enough to send his whole body into a state of longing. Longing for Len’s body yes, but also so much more.

Caitlin was still helping Cisco when they entered and so Barry was alone with them in the cortex when they entered. “Hey.” He said, his throat tight with emotion.

Len smiled at him and he felt like the breath had been knocked out of him, god he was gorgeous when he smiled. “Scarlet. Ramon’s still kicking I assume.” He drawled, and the way he said the nickname felt unbearably intimate, sending a shiver up Barry’s spine.

“Yeah, he has a mild concussion and some bumps and bruises but he’ll be fine. Thanks to you.” He didn’t mean for the last part to sound almost like a question, but he hadn’t expected Len to switch sides, let alone without giving him a heads-up first. “You know, if you wanted to play for ‘Team Good Guys’ you could have just asked.” He said, and then registered how that sounded. “I mean, not that you need permission or anything. Of course, you don’t need permission to help people, I just mean if you wanted to help you could have talked to me and we could have worked together.” He scrunched his face, deciding that hadn’t sounded much better. “Well, not that we have to work together or anything, you guys did pretty great on your own, it just would have been nice to know that you were going to be out there too, not that you have to tell me what you’re doing all the time, I mean that would get kinda tedious and please for the love of god will somebody stop me.”

All three Rogues laughed at his rambling, well Mick more huffed than laughed, but either way it seemed amused. “Relax Superspeed, as cute as the nervous rambling is, there’s no need. And we didn’t come talk to you first because we weren’t sure you’d want all the Rogues involved and this way we could show you how efficient we can be. Plus, the surprise was just too good for my brother to pass up because it was the perfect way to make a dramatic entrance and Lenny is the most extra bitch there is.”

That got another huff/laugh from Mick and a scowl from Len. “Thank you so much for that flattering assessment Lise.” He grumbled sarcastically.

She smirked at him and Barry was struck by how similar it looked to when Len smirked. “You’re quite welcome.” She said, smiling sweetly. “Jerk.”

“Trainwreck.” He responded, his tone much more fond than anything else.

Barry couldn’t help but remember the first time he’d heard them make that particular exchange, noting that the inflection was almost identical. It made him smile seeing and hearing the clear affection between them.

“Goldie’s right boss, never met a more dramatic bastard in my life.” Mick agreed gruffly.

Lisa laughed at the pout, and yes it was a pout, that Len gave them. He turned to look at Barry, clearly hoping for some defense of his honor and Barry couldn’t help but smile and shake his head. “Sorry Len, you are definitely the most theatrical villain I’ve ever faced, and keep in mind that one guy trapped me in a world that was literally like a real life musical.” He said, though he wasn’t sure he’d necessarily call Music Meister a villain. Lisa outright laughed and Len just pouted more.

Barry was saved from heading into anymore nervous rambling by Caitlin and Cisco, who quietly emerged from the med room. “Hey Cold, Lisa, Mi-… Ro-…. Heatwave?” Cisco stuttered, unsure how to address the arsonist. Mick grinned but there was nothing friendly about it. It was the type of smile you expected to see right before you ended up murdered in some serial killer’s basement. “Riiight, anyway thanks for the assist out there.” He said, looking at the two less murdery criminals.

“Happy to help.” Len drawled, and Barry almost rolled his eyes at how he slipped so easily back into his persona.

“Of course, someone had to save the day with Superspeed here out of the game for a while.” Lisa added, her voice a little sharper than he expected.

“Lise.” Len said warningly. Though what he was warning her from Barry wasn’t sure. “Claws in sis, it took a team effort to take that Meta down, you couldn’t expect Ramon here to do it all on his lonesome.” Cisco and Caitlin both looked surprised that Len came to his defense but Barry could feel himself beaming.

“So, is this going to be like a regular thing now?” Caitlin asked, eyes wandering from one Rogue to the next.

“Well, I guess that depends on whether Barry is alright with that arrangement.” Len said, and the hesitation in his voice made Barry’s chest ache. He’d been trying to get Len to realize he was more than just a criminal since almost the beginning, there was no way he would discourage him now.

He took a step closer to him, still about two feet away. “Are you kidding,” he felt his smile grow wider, “I’ve been trying to get you on our side forever, if you want to join Team Flash I’m not gonna say no.”

Len lifted an eyebrow, no doubt going for a mocking look, but he ruined it by smiling. “Just because we might be doing the hero thing doesn’t mean we’re calling ourselves Team Flash. No offense Scarlet but I’d prefer a name that has a little less sexual misconduct implied.” Barry felt his face heat a little, he had been teased more than few times about flashing and streaking and it probably wouldn’t have been nearly as embarrassing if he hadn’t ended up naked or nearly so due to various issues, such as the time his suit blew up.

“Hey, I’m the one that does the naming thing around here.” Cisco said, sitting down gingerly in his desk chair. “And if you’re going to be good guys, being called ‘the Rogues’ kind of sends the wrong message. Not to mention that wasn’t the greatest name either.”

“Hey!” Barry said, feeling slightly insulted. “I was the one who came up with that name.” He added indignantly.

Cisco at least had the decency to look sorry. “Lenny, you never told me that your leather-clad superhero was the one who came up with the name for our merry band of thieves.” Lisa teased, and Barry could swear that Len blushed slightly.

The sound of Cisco’s fingers snapping repetitively drew their attention. “I got it, I got the name, Team ColdFlash.” He stated, looking enormously pleased with himself. Barry and Caitlin just shook their heads.

“Really Cisco,” Caitlin sighed, “they aren’t a celebrity couple, you don’t need to name-blend them.” Barry felt his face heat up again, which was only made worse by the contemplative way Len was looking at him. He felt that nervous flutter in his stomach again and had to take a deep breath to refocus.

“And why should it be their names, we’re all part of the Rogues, not just Lenny.” Lisa added, pouting.

“Well yeah, but Cold’s the leader, and Barry’s the leader, so they’re the most obvious one’s to combine. And Captain Flash just doesn’t have the same ring to it.” He said, as if his reasoning should have been obvious and leaned back in his chair.

“Could just make it simple and go with ‘Larry’ instead.” Mick grunted, leaning against the workstation, arms crossed. “You know, Leonard plus Barry, Larry.”

Cisco looked nothing short of horrified. “Team _Larry_?” He squeaked, then started muttering in Spanish. Barry didn’t think he could have been more affronted if Mick had insulted his mother. Not that Barry could really blame him.

“Or what about Leonarry. That’s cute.” Lisa added, and Len just rolled his eyes at her.

“Or Barrnard.” Caitlin added with a mischievous grin, watching Cisco’s face go from horrified to betrayed.

“Ooh, what about Barrleo?” Lisa added, looking at Caitlin and ignoring both Cisco and Len.

“Or we could use a combination of their last names. Snallen maybe.” If Barry didn’t know better he’d say Caitlin was having fun not just teasing Cisco but also sort of bonding with Lisa. Though why they had to bond over coming up with ridiculous combinations of his and Len’s names he couldn’t say.

“Oh, I got it, Allenart.” Lisa crowed triumphantly.

“No! no, no, no, no. Nope, nuh uh, not gonna happen.” Cisco said, shaking his head and looking almost traumatized by this point. “Even if all of those weren’t completely terrible you can’t go using their real names for our superhero team. Everyone might know who Cold is but not everybody knows Barry’s secret identity.”

“Yet.” Mick said gruffly.

“Hey, I’m not that bad at keeping my identity a secret.” Barry said, feeling the need to defend himself. Mick just raised an eyebrow. He looked around at the other faces and they were all giving him some version of a disbelieving look. “Okay, so I’m not the best at it but that doesn’t mean you all should be mean to me about it.” He pouted, hoping he wasn’t about to start crying again, he was really getting tired of that particular pregnancy symptom.

“It’s alright Scarlet, if its any consolation Robin Hood isn’t any better at it. The Rogues have a bet going on how long till he outs himself to the whole city.” Len said, running a hand down his arm soothingly.

“Really?” Barry asked, wondering if made him a terrible friend that he was pleased about that. Len gave a single nod and small smile, seemingly pleased that he’d made Barry feel better, but he kept running his hand up and down Barry’s arm. Barry had to fight the urge to curl himself against Len’s chest and wallow in the comfort that he knew the Alpha could provide, he still needed to know some more about this new arrangement before he let his hopes run away with him. “So, what exactly does this new collaboration mean? Are you just gonna help out when there’s a new Meta and keep doing your own thing, or were you thinking something a little more involved?” He couldn’t seem to keep the hope out of his voice.

“Well, I gave the other Rogues the option to go their own way, surprisingly none of them jumped ship, but I made it clear that if they want to continue any of their criminal ways they have to do it out of Central City. As for the three of us,” he said, waving his hand to encompass Lisa and Mick, “we decided it was time to go legit.”

Barry almost couldn’t believe it, he never would have thought that Len would walk away completely from crime. It was almost too good to be true. “So, no more heists?” He asked, needing confirmation. Len shook his head. “Do you have a plan? I mean you weren’t exactly wrong when you said that being a hero doesn’t pay very well.”

“You don’t have to worry about that Scarlet, I already have it taken care of.”

“Are you sure? Cause I mean, I could always pay you, it probably wouldn’t be as much as you get from stealing but at least you wouldn’t have to worry about getting arrested.” He offered quickly, if this was really going to happen he wanted to make it as easy for Len as possible, make sure he had no reason to go back to being a criminal.

Len tilted his head slightly, apparently confused. “Didn’t think being a CSI paid quite that well Scarlet.”

Oh. Of course, he didn’t know about Barry’s creepy inheritance from Thawne. “No actually, that doesn’t pay great, but I kind of own STAR Labs?” He said, running a hand across the back of his neck, he still wasn’t that comfortable with the situation but it was what it was. He took a second to appreciate the looks of surprise on the Rogue’s faces. “Yeah, I kind of inherited everything from Wells, who wasn’t really Wells, but was really a time traveling psychopath that killed my mother and then stalked me for about fifteen years and then pretended to be a friend and mentor before killing Cisco, which thankfully I erased, and then he tried to get me to help him get back to his time and then I ended up in the past where I had to watch him kill my mother again because me told me not save her and…” Damn it, he was about to start crying again.

“Anyway, it doesn’t really matter.” He said, taking a breath to calm down. “He’s dead now, and it turns out that he left me his entire estate, including STAR Labs and all of his patents so I’m kind of rich now, and I could hire you as like Security Consultants or something.” He had managed not to look at them through his rambling up until that point and wasn’t sure what he was expecting when he looked back up.

There was a mix of surprise and confusion on all of their faces and a touch of concern on Len’s as well. “Well, if you feel the need to offer the other’s gainful employment feel free, but I’ve been a successful thief for a long time, I don’t waste money and I have a head for good investments, I haven’t _needed_ to steal anything for years, I did it for the thrill not the profit.”

Barry was pretty sure his eyes were cartoonishly wide, he knew Len enjoyed being a thief but he assumed he did it at least partly for the money. “Seriously.” Barry finally managed as he smacked Len in the shoulder. “All of this cat and mouse, hero/villain crap and you don’t even need the money. For fucks sake Len.” He couldn’t believe it and so he smacked him again.

He knew that Len could have dodged and yet stood there and took the hit, probably only so he could complain loudly and pretend that it hurt worse than it did. The others were all laughing by that point, all of them egging Barry on to do it again.

The laughter was interrupted by a new voice across the room. “What the hell?” Everything that happened next happened almost too quickly for Barry to keep up with. Joe was standing in the doorway of the cortex, eyes wide for a heartbeat before he suddenly had his gun out and pointed directly at Len.

Barry didn’t even think, just flashed to stand in front of him, shielding him with his body. He knew that Joe would never shoot with him standing in the way but before he could even tell Joe to put the gun down Len had grabbed him and pushed him back behind him into Mick’s arms who did the same, so that both of them were between Barry and a potential bullet and then Lisa was pushing herself between him and Mick as well.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Joe growled, and Barry was certain even though he couldn’t see that he was still pointing the gun at them.

“Detective I’m going to ask you very politely to please put the gun down.” Despite the words Barry could here the underlying anger in Len’s voice.

“I’ll put the gun down when I damn well please, now answer the question.” Barry thought about flashing across the room and taking the gun but he didn’t want to make the situation worse and possibly startle Joe and having the gun go off.

Before he could think of a better plan Caitlin walked forward and put herself between Joe’s gun and the Rogues. “Joe please put the gun away. We both know that if you fire that thing Barry is going to try to stop the bullet and he’s missed before and gotten hurt.” She said, voice steady but her hair was starting to lighten the way it did when her powers were manifesting. Peeking around the bodies shielding him from harm he saw Joe hesitate for a second before lowering the gun. Barry didn’t wait any longer, flashing across the room and taking the gun out of Joe’s hand and then across the room.

He had a feeling it would be better if Joe didn’t have the gun for the conversation that was about to come. “Damn it Barry.” He growled once time caught up to him and Joe found his hand empty. “What the hell is going on, and what are Snart and his little gang doing here?”

Barry ran a hand through his hair and looked at Len, he could still see anger in his eyes, as well as Mick’s and Lisa’s but they were holding it back, letting Barry explain. “Did you here about the Meta at the museum?” He asked, looking back at Joe.

“Yeah, I heard. People saying the Rogues showed up and saved the day.” He scoffed, clearly not buying that explanation.

“They didn’t just save the day, they saved Cisco’s life.”

“Right, and I suppose they just did that out of the goodness of their hearts huh? Wouldn’t put it past them to have set the whole thing up themselves.”

Len growled softly and Barry sighed, he knew that wasn’t the case, he knew why Len had decided to switch sides, now he was going to have to convince Joe of it. “They didn’t. And they’re going to be working with us from now on.”

Joe looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “Are you insane, they’re a bunch of criminals, killers, and you’re just gonna let them waltz in and out of here when ever they please, what the hell could you possibly be thinking Barry? He’s gonna betray you just like he did with the transport, why would you possibly trust him? Have you forgotten how many times he’s tried to kill you?” Barry couldn’t help the small flinch Joe’s words caused and he moved closer toward Len, seeking some sort of silent comfort.

“He’s not gonna betray me Joe, and he hasn’t actually tried to kill me since before we made our deal.”

“Really, I seem to remember trying to warn you not to trust him the first time and how did that turn out?” He didn’t even bother trying to say anything, all he could say was that he was glad Len had let the Metas go and he didn’t think Joe would like that. “He turned on you then, what’s to stop him from doing that again?”

“The fact he’s carrying my child for starters.” Len stated plainly. Barry’s breath caught at Len’s words, he didn’t know for sure if it was Len’s or not but the fact that Len was ready to claim it sent a jolt of happiness through him.

There was a good three seconds after his announcement where nobody moved or even seemed to breathe and then it was like something snapped in Joe who started stalking forward. “You son of a bitch.” He snarled and once again Barry was thrust behind Len. “You laid your filthy hands on my son.” Both Caitlin and Cisco had moved to intercept Joe before he could reach Len and did their best to hold him back. “You took advantage of him while he was in heat, while he couldn’t consent, you raped him.” Each of the Rogues growled angrily at the accusation, and Barry knew that hadn’t been the case, he just needed to assure Joe of that.

“Joe, it wasn’t like that, I knew what I was doing, Len didn’t take advantage of me.” He said, trying get through to his foster father but Joe didn’t seem to hear him. He continued snarling and growling accusations and trying to break out of the hold Cisco and Caitlin had on him.

The tension in the room was suffocating, the waves of energy coming off everyone else were wrapping around him, bombarding him and making it hard to breathe, hard to focus. All people gave off energy waves but Barry had never been particularly sensitive to them until he got pregnant, now he was practically choking on them. He felt dizzy and lightheaded and nauseous. “Please stop.” He pleaded desperately.

Joe didn’t seem to notice but Len did, he turned and looked at Barry with concern, eyes narrowed and searching. The next moment he pulled Barry into his arms, a hand at the back of his head guiding Barry’s face into the curve of Len’s neck, the scent of Alpha soothing and relaxing him. “Alright, that’s enough.” Len said softly and Barry felt Mick move from their side but it was Caitlin’s voice he heard next.

“Joe that’s enough, you’re upsetting Barry and his body doesn’t need any more stress right now.” She said sharply.

“You need to go cool off.” Cisco added, there was more shouting and Barry buried his face further in Len’s neck. One of Len’s hands was still at the back of his neck, the other rubbing up and down his spine comfortingly while he whispered gentle reassurances in Barry’s ear.

He wasn’t sure how long until the sounds quieted and the tension in the room eased but even when they did Barry didn’t lift his head. “I’m sorry.” He mumbled into the skin of Len’s neck.

Len tightened his hold slightly before easing it again. “You don’t have anything to apologize for Scarlet.” He said gently.

“Joe shouldn’t have said those things, you didn’t do anything wrong that night, you didn’t take advantage of me. I knew what I was doing, and I don’t regret it.” If nothing else, he wanted to make that clear. What had happened between him and Len had been something beautiful and he didn’t want anyone thinking otherwise.

“It’s okay Scarlet, we can talk about it later.” Later, maybe when he wasn’t feeling so emotionally raw and exposed. And at least the altercation with Joe hadn’t changed Len’s mind any, he was still here, and would still be here later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was fun.
> 
> You may have noticed I don't like the way it's just assumed that an Omega in heat has no control over themselves so that very heavily influenced some of the conversations in this chapter. I've read a lot of A/B/O fics and there seems to be this running theme of dubious consent but the only explanation given is they're extra horny, in my personal opinion being horny doesn't mean you can't consent. Sorry rant over.
> 
> Now I want to make it clear that I wasn't trying to bash Felicity, but she has a tendency to overreact to certain things, and especially where Oliver is concerned. But don't worry too much, they'll work it out in the end. 
> 
> And about the Batman comment, I just couldn't help myself. I mean seriously, everything the guy owns has bat in the name. I also couldn't help myself with the name-blending thing, it stemmed from a conversation with my husband on the different pairings I enjoy and the conversation just snowballed from there. 
> 
> And then I had to ruin it with Joe's freak out. Yeah, I'm guessing no one was really surprised by his reaction to Len's little announcement but it still kinda hurt me to write it, but on the bright side we got to enjoy seeing protective Len, which sends the warm fuzzies all through me. 
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed. ; )


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Rogues settle in and Barry has a nasty confrontation at work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. I'm sorry, this was supposed to be up last Sunday but I was 3/4 of the way done when I had to take my husband on an impromptu trip to the ER, and then take care of him for two days, and then I got hit by a four day migraine that knocked me on my ass and all I could do was lay in bed and pray for blissful death.
> 
> So, I'll save you time and just get right to it. I'm putting a warning here for some sexual harassment and what could best be equated with sexism, but I think that's all that might be upsetting.

Okay this was weird, Barry could admit that. The Rogues had been at the Labs every day for the last two weeks, it had been tense and everyone had been on edge for a few days and then all of a sudden it was like everything just clicked and they just seemed to blend in.

It had started after the confrontation with Joe, Len had held him and calmed him down, running a hand up and down Barry’s spine and keeping his face pressed to his neck so he could inhale the scent of Alpha which had become even more reassuring since he became pregnant. Cisco and Caitlin had basically thrown Joe out of the Labs because he was upsetting Barry, and Lisa and Mick were standing protectively between Len and Barry and the door Joe had been ushered through.

Caitlin had come back in first and made a beeline for Barry, not intimidated by the Rogues one bit. “Barry, you need to calm down. All this stress isn’t good for the baby.” She said gently, resting a hand on his upper arm.

“You heard the Doc, Scarlet, everything is okay now. Just breathe and relax.” Len said softly, his voice tender but with a hint of authority behind it. Barry did his best to obey, taking a few shuddering breaths, wishing he didn’t look so weak and helpless right now. A few minutes passed as Barry tried to match his breaths to Len’s calm steady ones while the Alpha whispered soothing nonsense in his ear.

When he finally calmed down enough he realized that at some point Len’s hand had traveled down and was resting on the slight swell of his belly, thumb rubbing back and forth almost absentmindedly. For some reason the feeling of Len’s hand splayed wide across his small baby bump made his eyes prickle and heart contract, but in a good way.

He took one more deep breath, inhaling Len’s scent and then pulled his head back so he could look the Alpha in the eye. “Thank you.” He said shakily, looking Len in the eye. The thief smiled and Barry almost couldn’t breathe at the soft look on his face. A throat clearing drew his attention and he felt his face flame when he caught sight of everyone looking at him. Mick had been the one to break him out of the trance that Len seemed to have put him in and was watching the two of them with what Barry could only assume was a bemused expression. “Sorry, hormones are kinda all over the place lately.”

The arsonist shrugged but didn’t further comment on Barry’s mini-breakdown, but Lisa took a step closer. “Don’t worry about it sweetie. You had every right to be upset, hormones or not.” She gave him a warm smile and he felt himself returning it, more and more he felt like a crazy person for the way he reacted to things and it was nice to hear someone else say he was justified in his response.

“Thanks.” He was starting to feel awkward with so many eyes watching him and not to mention Len’s hand still resting on his stomach, though he could admit that he was enjoying the feeling, more than he thought he would. With great difficulty he managed to take a step back out of Len’s embrace but it was still a moment before the Alpha dropped his hand from Barry’s belly, looking at it in what Barry thought was wonder. “So, that wasn’t the best welcome,” he said nervously, “which sucks because I’m really glad you’re here. And you know if you guys hadn’t shown up Cisco could have died. So, thank you.”

“Yeah,” Cisco added, “thanks again for that, and it will be nice to have some extra help around here.”

Len nodded his head in acknowledgment and then leaned against the large table that housed the computers. “So, are the other Rogues gonna be coming by too?” Barry asked, hoping he’d get a chance to extend his thanks to them as well.

“Figured it would be better if it was just us for now, didn’t want to reveal your identity without your permission. Shawna saw your face but she doesn’t know your name and she won’t go looking for it either. I thought it would be better if we discussed how to do this if we’re going to join forces in the future.” Len said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Oh, I guess I didn’t really think about that.” Barry admitted, and okay maybe they had a point about his identity issues. “I mean, it would be easier to coordinate if everyone was here and I don’t feel like flashing into the suit anytime they were here would be practical, especially since I probably won’t even be able to get it on in a few weeks. But even if they are part of your crew they have plenty of reasons not to like me and Joe and Oliver will probably both have an aneurism if even more of my villains, even former villains, know my identity.” Barry felt his face pull into a frown, he didn’t like the idea of working with people who would be risking their lives and not trusting them with his identity.

“You don’t have to decide this second Scarlet, but for what its worth, they have been warned that you are off limits, they do anything to hurt you, and that includes hurting your family, they will be answering to me.” The icy tone of Len’s words sent a shiver down Barry’s spine, but it wasn’t fear he felt. He’d almost call it arousal, but it was sweeter than that, softer. The idea that Len was protective of him, even if it was only because he was possibly carrying his child, sent a glowing warmth through Barry’s whole body.

God, Barry wanted to pull Len’s body against his own and slot their mouths together, make it absolutely clear who the Alpha belonged to. He barely managed to suppress the urge and he had to wonder if it was due to some weird pregnancy hormone thing, he’d never really felt this overwhelming urge to claim someone but he was certainly feeling it now.

But right now, he needed to focus, they were discussing something important. Barry was sure that he could trust Len and given how protective he had already proven himself to be, Barry was sure that Len wouldn’t let his crew anywhere near him if he had any doubts. Not that that was a hundred percent guarantee, but it certainly made him feel a lot better. Then of course there was the fact that almost all of the Rogues had seen either Caitlin’s or Cisco’s or both their faces and hadn’t attempted to do anything about it. And apparently all of them had already agreed to join forces, despite what Team Flash had done to them.

“No, if they’re going to be working to save the city then we should work together, and if we’re working together then I should trust them enough to tell them who I am.” He looked at Len and the small smile on his face was definitely relieved. He could understand that, if their roles were reversed he wouldn’t want anything that might drive a wedge between him and his team.

They spent awhile talking about logistics and coming up with plans for how this was going to work before Caitlin, very sternly, reminded Barry that he needed to get some rest. He had wanted to talk to Len alone, talk about what this could mean for them but Len decided Caitlin was right and he and the other Rogues had headed off with promises that they would be back the next night, with the rest of their team.

Barry thought he’d be able to grab a few minutes to talk to Len privately, tell him that he had reevaluated the situation, that maybe now that Len was working with them they could maybe give things between them a shot, but getting even a second alone was proving to be difficult.

The first few days they had been playing referees between their respective teams, mostly between Cisco and Hartley if he was being honest. It seemed every word out of their mouths was a full-on declaration of war. They had sniped and snarked and nearly come to blows several times already, Barry and Len both trying to run interference with nominal success.

They argued about the comm system, Hartley saying it was too easy to hack, Cisco saying most people wouldn’t have the skill necessary, ‘and no Hartley that was not a compliment,’ and then they had started name calling. Then they had argued about the security system, how ‘pathetically inadequate’ it was and how ‘anybody with a rudimentary understanding of lock picking could stroll in when ever they felt like it.’

Len had agreed and Barry couldn’t really blame him, the man knew better than almost anyone how easy it was to break into the Labs. He would have liked to say that he didn’t feel a little thrill when Len had threatened Cisco with bodily harm if his ‘lax security measures caused Barry any harm.’

Cisco had caved and now Len and Hartley were assisting him in revamping the whole system and designing new protocols to keep out anyone who shouldn’t be there. Not that that stopped the arguing between Cisco and Hartley.

Surprisingly, what did, was the baby. Or rather the revelation that Barry had no idea which one of the Alphas he’d slept with was actually the father. “So, it’s basically Schrodinger’s cat.” Hartley had said thoughtfully.

“What are you talking about?” Cisco asked testily, not looking up from whatever new invention he was working on.

“You know, the baby is the cat, until it’s born and you know who the father is you can look at it as simultaneously all of yours and none of yours, and there’s no way to know for sure until you open the box.” He mused.

Cisco looked up from his work with that look he got whenever someone said something that changed his perspective on something and he couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought about it before. “You’re right,” he said slowly, “hand me that screwdriver.” The exchange had been simple but they seemed to have come to some sort of understanding after that, they still argued, but there was an underlying friendliness to it.

Then there was the weird tension between Cisco and Lisa. She seemed to avoid him at all costs and when she couldn’t her questions and responses to him were downright caustic. He could see the hurt and confusion in Cisco’s eyes each time and had offered to talk to her or have Len do so but his friend had declined. “It’ll probably just take some time for things to settle.” He said and that was the end of that in his mind. Still, Barry kept an eye on the situation, determined to intervene if things didn’t get better shortly.

The other Rogues had been much the same, Caitlin and Lisa had butted heads a few times, Lisa calling Caitlin uptight and _frigid_ , Len laughing at the pun but telling Lisa to be nice, Caitlin had countered by calling Lisa impulsive and self-centered, sending the other woman off in huff. Things between them had stayed adversarial until Caitlin came to Shawna’s defense against Mardon, who was being his usual charming self.

“Not saying your power isn’t valuable, but women just aren’t as competent in physical confrontations.” He said condescendingly, causing Shawna to stiffen. Barry could see the metaphorical storm brewing and was prepared to intervene or get Len to do so since he was better at controlling Mardon’s more obnoxious behavior but before he could Caitlin had stepped forward. Probably just as offended as Shawna.

“I have to disagree, I’ve met plenty of women who can kick the ass of any man that crossed them. Your theory is based on some antiquated notion that physical strength conquers all, which hasn’t been the case since people developed the ability to think logically. All strength has weaknesses and all it takes to beat it is a basic understanding of physics.” She said haughtily.

She smiled but it wasn’t friendly. “Or maybe you were referring to that old idea that women are all soft and submissive and don’t have that ‘killer instinct’ that men have? Which if you think about it is just stupid, psychologically speaking there isn’t much difference. In fact, Dr. Janet Hyde wrote about a study conducted showing that when participants were told they wouldn’t be identified by gender, the women were more aggressive and the men more passive, likely because there were no social strictures to influence their behavior.”

She continued talking but was no longer looking at any of them, instead focusing on her tablet where she was entering data. “Which come to think of it isn’t that strange if you take into account the overall trend in the animal kingdom, there’s a higher percentage of animals where the female is either more aggressive or deadlier or both than the male.” Barry couldn’t help but smile at the flustered look on Mardon’s face, especially since Caitlin had said it all in that calm, clinical voice she used that made it sound like she was simply imparting medical fact and had no personal opinion on the matter.

“It’s the same way everybody thinks about dynamics, they all pretend that Omega’s are all submissive and helpless, but look at Barry, he’s an Omega and he’s kicked plenty of Alpha’s asses. Including yours.” She added with a devilish smirk while Shawna laughed.

“Ha, see that Mark, your argument is invalid, science is on my side.” Mardon huffed and crossed his arms but declined to comment. “You’re just lucky Lisa didn’t hear you.”

“Oh, I heard.” Lisa said, walking in from the hallway. “But Cait seemed to have everything well in hand.” She dipped her head to Caitlin in acknowledgement and Caitlin reciprocated and there didn’t seem to be any hostility after that.

Bivolo had been sitting a few feet away watching the confrontation with rapt attention until it was over and then gone back to sketching in a notebook. He’d been working on trying to control more than just anger in people and so was fascinated by any display of emotions, he was just better at unleashing anger than any other. Caitlin believed it had something to do with that being the emotion he was most familiar with, but they were working on it.

The majority of the Rogues came into the Labs every day, assisting with various tasks around the Lab or working on controlling or expanding their powers, or just hanging around when there wasn’t a new Meta to face. Nimbus was the only one who never came to the Labs and instead showed up at whatever location Len told him to be at. Barry had asked about it but Len had just said Nimbus wasn’t really a social person and he preferred to be alone. Barry was a little ashamed to admit that he found himself more comfortable with that arrangement.

Most of the Rogues had done some pretty bad things but Nimbus had been a hitman for the mob, it had literally been his job to kill people. Not to mention, his power was the most outright deadly, Len had him there mostly for when the others couldn’t get close to their target or he needed someone to get in somewhere quickly. His ability to turn to gas made it less likely he’d take a hit and also that he could in and out of places through the smallest of openings, thus far he hadn’t hurt anyone even accidentally and that was enough to make Barry grateful.

They had gone out twice in the last two weeks, once to face a destructive Meta with seemingly no agenda other than causing mayhem and once for an ordinary human robbery at a bank full of hostages. Both times they had managed to take the perpetrators down without any permanent damage and no collateral damage and fortunately only minor bumps and bruises to themselves.

Barry had found it hard to focus on the danger of the situations or anything really while he was listening to Len. He was a brilliant strategist, his mind always examining all the angles and moving his people around like pieces on a chess board, though he was in no way _cold_ about it. He made sure they all were as safe as they could be while carrying out their mission and it was clear that he cared about them. Barry felt the longing he felt in his chest for the other man grow as he watched Len plan and execute all in the heat of battle, he had one of the most amazing minds Barry had ever engaged with.

Some small fanciful part of his mind wondered how things would have played out if Len and Thawne had squared off. He shook the thought away, not even wanting Thawne near Len in his imagination.

The city was curious as to what this new development with the Rogues would mean in the long run, if they were just getting rid of the competition before trying to take over or whether they had actually turned over a new leaf. One newspaper was particularly ‘gung-ho’ about their support of the ‘new and improved Rogues’ and Barry shook his head thinking about how hard Iris was pushing the idea.

She said it would be easier if people got used to the idea of the Rogues as good guys as early on as possible. Barry figured it would take more than just a few weeks of the reformed villains fighting on the hero side to change people’s minds about them, even if Iris was leading the charge in print. Still, it meant a lot to him that she was so accepting of his new relationship with his former villains, especially considering Joe was still giving him the cold shoulder and Oliver had been pretty much radio silent since he went back to Starling.

Barry had heard from several of the others on Team Arrow, congratulating him on the pregnancy, but he hadn’t heard from Felicity at all, which was odd. He figured she would have been the first one to contact him. And Oliver had barely responded to the text messages or voicemails Barry had left in the last two weeks and he was trying not to feel hurt about it.

Oliver needed time to come to grips with the situation and Barry would give him that, no matter if it made him feel slightly abandoned and afraid that things would never be okay between the two of them again.

He hoped he was just overreacting due to hormones again. That was one thing he was never going to get used to, the up and down, wishy-washy mood swings. He’d be happy and chipper one minute and then a sobbing insecure mess the next and then back to happy, at this point he felt like he had emotional whiplash.

The morning sickness was finally fading, thank god. He hadn’t had to race to the bathroom to empty his stomach at all this week, though he still felt nauseous if he caught a whiff of certain things. He should be really happy about this new development but with the loss of that symptom came the advent of two more. He was more tired lately, even though he was doing far less than he used to it seemed like he had to fight off the urge to sleep at various points throughout the day, and he couldn’t even have caffeine now, he had to drink decaf and hope to trick his brain into thinking that it was the real thing.

Caitlin said it was likely he’d been doing that since he got his powers as it was unlikely it would have any more effect on him than alcohol or painkillers. Unfortunately, that didn’t make him feel any better and now that he knew it would be a placebo effect it wasn’t working.

The other new symptom he had developed wasn’t as distracting at least, he was dizzy and lightheaded a lot. That had been a problem since he got his powers because of his metabolism but he had been eating a lot better, making sure to get all of the extra calories he needed for his baby to be healthy so he knew it wasn’t lack of food causing it. Caitlin had said that it was a common pregnancy symptom around the start of the second trimester and suggested he eat even more and move even slower than normal.

He was not happy with that edict, it had been bad enough not using his powers to go extra fast and now he had to try to move even slower than a normal person, especially when standing up. He had thought for a second about ignoring her advice but then she had gone on talking about her concerns that he might get lightheaded and pass out and a fall could harm the baby.

He knew the moment she brought that up that he wouldn’t risk it but Len had been hovering nearby and the look on his face said that he’d be watching Barry like a hawk every moment until he was certain that Barry would listen and do what he was told.

He had felt Len’s eyes on him almost constantly for two days after that and it had driven him to distraction. He appreciated the concern, he really did, but it was beginning to irritate him. He didn’t want Len thinking he couldn’t take care of himself or that he’d put his own comfort above the safety of his child, and he was almost totally unfocused on anything but the feeling of Len’s eyes on him.

It had only taken two days before the feeling of being watched like a helpless infant had gotten the better of him and he’d yelled at Len to quit hovering over him like a damn watch dog. He’d regretted it almost instantly when a look of hurt flashed across Len’s face before he carefully schooled his features into a blank mask and walked away, giving Barry the space that he thought he’d wanted.

He hadn’t seen Len the rest of the day and he felt like all of sudden he’d lost something vital and gone down to the pipeline to have a quiet sobbing fit where he wouldn’t have to answer anyone’s questions who happened to come across him crying yet again. He had his knees pulled up into his chest and his head bowed over them trying to muffle his sobs when Len placed a hand on his shoulder. He wasn’t sure how he knew it was Len without even looking up but he did.

He had started crying harder at the hesitant touch and tried to apologize through his heaving breaths and Len had just shushed him and wrapped his arms around him securely and let him cry himself out.

He’d run a hand through Barry’s hair and rubbed circles into his back with the other all while rocking him gently and every so often placing a kiss at his temple.

Eventually, he had calmed down and his tears his stopped but Len still held him and rocked him gently. “I’m sorry.” Barry had whispered raggedly, his voice raspy from crying.

“Shh, it’s okay.” Another kiss to his temple.

“I shouldn’t have yelled at you, I feel like I’m losing my mind, like I don’t have any idea what I feel or why I feel that way and it’s like I have no control over myself anymore.” He clutched at Len’s arm where it rested around him and the comforting heat of the muscle under his fingertips as well as pressed along his back.

“It’s alright Barry, your body is being bombarded by hormones and that’s heightening all your emotions. You’re not crazy, and you have the right to be upset about things, even if you can’t explain the why.” Len’s voice was soft and warm and gentle and Barry wanted to wrap himself up in it. Wrap himself up in Len.

They sat there on the floor of the pipeline for another few minutes as Barry caught his breath and wiped the remaining tears from his face and then Len had gently pulled away. He felt the loss instantly, not just the heat and strength surrounding him but the comfort and intimacy of the moment. He tried to quell the disappointment and longing as Len helped him to his feet and he avoided looking the Alpha in the eye for fear that it would be written all over his face for the other to see.

Len’s hand gently touched his cheek and lifted Barry’s head gently, forcing him to look the other man in the eye. “You okay now?” The soft voice did nothing to dampen his longing, feeling the words like a caress against his skin. He couldn’t even speak, just nodded and attempted a reassuring smile. “Alright, lets get back up to the cortex then, it’ll be time for patrol soon.”

Barry wanted so badly to lean over and press his lips to Len’s, to tell him to forget about the city for one night and just be together. But he hesitated and then Len was walking away and all Barry could do was pull himself together and follow.

He’d been thinking about that moment almost nonstop for the last four days. He had wanted several times over the last few days to pull the man aside and kiss him breathless, let him know that Barry was ready to give things between them a shot. Every time he mustered up the courage however he found himself hesitating, because deep down he was still afraid. Afraid that it would all come crashing down.

He didn’t delude himself into thinking that the thief’s change of career had nothing really to do with him and everything to do with the baby he was carrying. At what would happen if it turned out that the baby wasn’t his, would the man go back to being a fulltime villain? He couldn’t discount the possibility and if that happened Barry wasn’t sure he could handle it if he started something with Len now.

So, he held back, he pushed aside the growing urge he felt to get closer to the thief who already held more of his heart than he should. He would maintain that distance if it killed him, which was a distinct possibility at this point. It was already killing his sanity.

He’d been seriously distracted today and was so far behind on his work that he was amazed that Singh hadn’t come up here to yell at him yet. That would be just what he needed. He still hadn’t gotten around to informing the Captain that he was pregnant, and shortly he wasn’t going to have any choice in the matter. He was starting to show, had a very clear baby bump even though it was small. For now, he could hide it under slightly too large shirts but that wouldn’t last for much longer. Not to mention Caitlin had concerns about him doing to much at work, he wasn’t overly concerned about that, it wasn’t like he was doing manual labor or anything.

He was so deep in his thoughts he missed the sounds of someone entering his lab and was startled by a hand on his shoulder. He jumped slightly and whirled around to look at the intruder, fighting the wave dizziness his abrupt motion caused. “Jeez Allen, jumpy?”

Not just one intruder but two, Detectives Bennett and Clark. Barry tried to calm his racing pulse, he knew they were probably just here for the results on some evidence on a case they were working. “Sorry, didn’t here you come in.” He mumbled, moving to get around the large Alpha who was still standing close to him. Bennett. Barry had never liked the man but he usually didn’t have to deal with him. “If you’re here for the results of that particulate analysis it isn’t done yet. But I’ll bring down when it is.”

As he made a move to get around the man he was blocked by the Alpha’s corresponding move. He looked up at the larger man who was looking him up and down in a way that Barry did not appreciate and sniffing the air around him. “What are you doing, Detective? Let me by.” He said, trying once more to step around the man with the same result.

“Never noticed how good you smell Allen.” The Alpha said, leaning toward him and sniffing. Barry tried to move back but was trapped between the man and his desk.

He knew that his scent was enhanced by the pregnancy but none of the other’s, even the Alpha’s he’d been around had seemed bothered by it, or even brought attention to it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, now please let me by.”

As he tried to push past the Alpha a large hand clamped painfully on to his bicep. “You in the middle of your heat or something?” The man asked with a smirk. That was such an incredibly rude question Barry was shocked into silence for moment, but before he could form an adequate response the man continued. “No, I seem to recall something about you getting time off whenever you’re in heat. Poor little Omega, can’t deal with a few extra hormones?”

The man leaned closer to him forcing him back against the desk and when he looked at the other detective noticed the man was also smirking. Apparently, he saw no problem with his partners behavior. “Let go of me.” He said, trying to put as much authority behind the demand as he could.

“No,” the Alpha said, but Barry didn’t think it was in response to his command, “no, it’s not heat.” He leaned in closer and Barry had nowhere to go, the desk keeping him trapped as effectively as the Alpha’s bruising grip on his arm. “I got it.” He said, his nose only an inch from Barry’s neck. “You knocked up Allen? Is that what it is, some Alpha get you all full of puppies?”

Barry attempted to shove the man but he didn’t have enough power without using his speed and there was no way he could let these two see that he was the Flash. “Get your damn hands off me, now.” He growled, maybe if he let them see he wasn’t afraid of them they’d back off.

“Come on now, no need to be shy, that’s what you’re good for after all. That’s all any Omega’s good for.” The Alpha ran his free hand along the swell of Barry’s abdomen and he felt a shudder of revulsion run through him. This disgusting excuse for an Alpha had no right to touch him, no right to put a hand anywhere near his baby. “Come on Allen, you obviously know how to take it like a good little bitch, aren’t even claimed, no reason you shouldn’t take our knots too.” The asshole had the nerve to smile at him, like he should be flattered by his disgusting attention.

The pressure on his arm was removed and he felt the Alpha’s hand travel up toward his face, knuckles brushing along Barry’s cheekbone at the same time Bennett leaned in further, brushing his obvious erection against his hip.

Now free of the pressure on his arm and driven by pure fury Barry reached up and grabbed man’s hand, using only the barest hint of speed to grab and then twist, pushing the man’s body at the same time and pulling his arm up behind his back. He heard Bennett yelp but wasn’t sure if it was from surprise or pain, he definitely hadn’t been gentle and he still had a punishing grip on the Median nerve. He sent a silent thank you out to Oliver for teaching him the debilitating move.

Clark had taken a step forward and Barry put pressure on his captive’s compromised wrist and forced him to move so that he was placed directly between Barry and the other man, but also so that he could keep the other in sight in case he had to move quickly. He was gratified to see Clark’s eyes widen as Bennett whimpered and attempted to relieve the pressure on his hand.

He knew he could have simply shoved the man he held captive into his partner and go get help but right at the moment he was to angry, not just angry, enraged. How dare they? How dare they try to intimidate him and speak to him as though he were somehow less than them? And why, because they were Alpha’s and he an Omega. True, Clark hadn’t really said or done anything, but he’d just stood there looking pleased and let it happen. What the fuck was wrong with them?

Most of his ire was directed at Bennett however, and he pushed just a little harder on the man’s sensitive nerve, knowing he wasn’t doing enough to actually harm the man. He’d be fine once Barry released him, but perhaps what was needed here was a lesson. “You stupid, arrogant, son of a bitch. You really think there’s any chance that anyone’s going to take your knot, you disgusting excuse for an Alpha?” He growled threateningly. “You think what, that talking like a disgusting pig makes you more desirable?”

He heard the man whimper slightly as he spat the words venomously. “Please…let go, please.” Bennett gasped, pain evident in his voice.

“Oh, you want me to let you go,” he chided patronizingly, “and tell me just why I should do that when I asked you to let me go and you ignored me? Hmm?” He gave a tighter squeeze to the man’s wrist and was satisfied to here a soft keening noise coming for the large Alpha.

“P-please.” Barry had to resist the urge to snort, knowing that if the roles were reversed he’d receive no such mercy. The saddest part was that if they the two Alphas weren’t such assholes and he was hung up on someone else he might have given them a chance. They were both outwardly attractive, Bennett was large and muscled, with dark brown hair and pretty hazel eyes and a strong cut jaw, and Clark, while not as ripped was still fit and tall, with dark blonde hair and blue eyes. Shame they were such elitist assholes. They certainly weren’t the first Alphas he’d come across who thought that Alphas were superior to Omegas, they were the first to take it this far however.

“I don’t know, I don’t think you’ve quite learned your lesson yet.” Maybe by the time he got them out of his lab. With his hand still secured on Bennett’s wrist and his other hand on the Alpha’s shoulder he marched him forward, forcing Clark to back up as well. “Maybe you should remember this the next time you take it upon yourself to harass someone who you think is weaker than you.”

He ignored the quiet refrain of ‘ow-ow-ow’ as he frog-marched the Alpha across the room while herding his partner out backwards. “And for the record I wouldn’t take your knot if you were the last Alpha on Earth, especially given how crude and inappropriately you said it. And if I ever hear a rumor of you harassing any other person, Omega or not, sexual or not, we won’t be having a calm little chat and you’ll be lucky if all I do is break every goddamn bone in your hand.” He said, marshaling the two Alpha’s through the doorway of his lab.

“And you,” he said, directing a glare at Clark, who’s eyes were round as saucers, “I don’t know if you’re just as big an asshole as this pathetic Alpha,” he took the time to shake his captive a little, “or if you’re just a coward, but the next time your dick of a partner does something like that and you don’t do anything to stop him, you’ll get the same treatment.” Barry was distantly aware that there were eyes on him but he never took his eyes from the two Alpha’s he was herding to the stairs.

“From now on, if you have evidence that needs processed or you need a report you can send someone else, I don’t want either of you in lab again, is that understood?” He waited until he got a response from both of them and now they were standing at the top of the stairs. “And if you ever lay a hand on me again, I will kill you.”

If it were possible Clark’s eyes got even wider and he felt a tremor run through the Alpha in his grip. He waited a heartbeat and then pushed Bennett slightly while releasing his wrist, he almost wished they had been closer to stairs, but the rational part of his brain reminded him that he didn’t actually want them dead, just out of his space.

He didn’t think he’d ever seen the two men move so fast as the headed down the stairs without so much as a backward glance, Bennett cradling his hand to his chest.

As he took a deep breath he became aware that everyone who was in the bullpen was now standing in the entryway between the elevators and the other rooms, staring at him in what could only be described as shock.

 _Great, just what I needed_. He thought miserably as the anger and adrenaline of the last few minutes drained from him, leaving him feeling exhausted and somewhat shaky. “Allen.” He heard the sharp command and closed his eyes, wishing he could just flash away and not deal with this now. “My office.” The tone of Singh’s voice left no room for argument and he sighed in defeat.

“Yes sir.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I hope this all doesn't seem too rushed, but I really did want to get out quickly cause it was already a week late, so I didn't have a lot of time to polish it.
> 
> I didn't want to get too involved yet with the interpersonal relationships with the Rogues but just have a few snipits while they are still in the adjusting phase. The thing about Schrodinger's Cat happened because I was watching an episode of Stargate SG1 that talked about it and then two days later I was watching the Big Bang Theory and there it was again,it seemed like fate and it actually fit the situation so well I just couldn't resist. Plus it seemed like something Hartley would say.
> 
> And the study that Caitlin quoted was in fact real. I don't know the name of the study or the people involved just that Dr. Janet Hyde studied the results of that one and several other studies and wrote about them. I didn't do a lot of research about it cause honestly it didn't seem that important, but if you feel the urge to go look up this or similar studies and want to share I'm prepared to listen.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. And love to everyone who has left comments and kudos.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry has a talk with Singh and then a talk with Joe and then a few shocks and surprises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, okay, I know it has been an unacceptable amount of time since I last posted and I am so sorry for the wait. In my defense life has been a massive hormonal bitch for the last little while giving me less time to write and sapping me of my will to live with a side-order of writer's block. Please continue to be patient with me as I can't guarantee that posts will be any more regular, though I can promise that this story will never be abandoned. And here's 8000+ words of apology for making you wait.
> 
> So I won't drag this out but in case you didn't see the newly added tag I'm putting the warning here too. *Miscarriage scare* in this chapter. Barry doesn't have a miscarriage but there are some signs and if this will upset you please don't read after the scene break, I will put the other important points in the end notes.

Dropping his head with a weary sigh, Barry headed down the stairs and toward Singh’s office. All of the detectives and officers who had been watching his altercation with the two idiot detectives were still just standing there, looking at him, faces in various stages of shock and amazement. He sighed again making it to the bottom of the stairs, trying to avoid looking at anyone as he passed until a gentle hand landed on his shoulder.

  
He looked up to find Eddie, face full of concern, looking at him intently. “Are you okay Barry?” His voice was gentle and as they stood still for a moment Eddie dropped his eyes to Barry’s middle and then looked back at his face and raised his eyes.

  
The gesture was clear and he found himself smiling slightly, Eddie had been almost as excited over his pregnancy as Iris and his concern was for Barry and the baby both. “Yeah Eddie, all good. Thanks.”

  
He gave Eddie’s arm a pat and the other man’s hand squeezed gently before releasing him. With a final nod he started moving again and continued on to the Captain’s office. He saw Joe looking at him, some unfathomable look on his face but he didn’t stop just raised his head and squared his shoulders and hoped he’d get through the next few minutes without bursting into tears.

  
When he entered Singh’s office the man was already sitting at his desk and was pulling papers out of a folder. “Close the door Allen.” He said without looking up. Barry did as he was told and then walked closer to the desk but didn’t sit down. He wasn’t sure exactly how this conversation was going to go, he hadn’t exactly handled the situation in the most professional manner, twisting Bennett’s arm behind his back, disrupting the entire bullpen and threatening to kill one of the detectives. If nothing else Singh had the right to suspend him.

  
He looked directly at his Captain for the first time since closing the door and found the other man’s eyes staring directly at his abdomen. Startled, Barry realized he’d been rubbing a hand over his baby bump in an absentminded gesture that was both protective and comforting and there was no doubt exactly what it meant.  
Singh sighed as Barry’s eyes widened, forcing his hand down by his side. “How far along are you?” Barry wasn’t sure if his brain was playing ticks on him but Singh’s voice almost sounded gentle.

  
“A little over three months Sir.” He said, hiding a wince. He knew he should have told his Captain about his pregnancy before this point, but a part of him had feared that he’d end up even more restricted. Bad enough not being able to be the Flash, but if he couldn’t keep working on cases he would completely lose his mind.

  
“Sit down Allen.” Again, voice gentle and eyes almost kind. Then his face shifted to confusion and then tightly leashed anger. “Three months? _Three_?” Yep, definitely anger. “Jesus Allen, what the hell were you thinking going out to save the city in your condition?” He’d been startled by the other man’s rising from his chair and starting to pace enough that it took him a minute to understand Singh’s words.

  
No! No, he couldn’t mean what Barry thought he meant, there had to be something else behind those words that he just wasn’t getting. “Sir?” He asked, hoping his eyes weren’t bugging out of his head.

  
“Oh, come on Allen, I may be the Captain but I was a damn good detective before that.” He said, sounding a bit offended. “I know you’re the Flash, I’ve known since the beginning. Wasn’t hard to put together what with the Flash showing up right after you woke up from a coma and got right back to work like nothing had happened. Not to mention all the flimsy excuses and knowing things about crime scenes that you shouldn’t have known unless you’d been there. Then there’s the fact that Vibe and Frost show a remarkable resemblance to Ramon and Snow who you have a very close relationship with.”

  
Shit. Yeah, Singh definitely had it all figured out all right. “Only thing I can’t figure out is how you can be so damn fast and still be late to work.” Running his hand along his head and then plopping back down into his seat his boss pinned him with a questioning look.

  
Barry wished he could think clearly enough to come up with some sort of excuse but he was too busy freaking out about the fact that Singh knew he was the Flash and apparently had from the beginning. Maybe the others were right about his ability to keep his secret identity a secret after all. “Sorry Sir.” Was all he managed to say.

  
He got a put-upon sigh from the other man. “Now I want you to answer my first question. What the hell were you thinking? The Flash only dropped off the map a month ago, if you’re three months then that means you were going out and fighting crime while pregnant for two.” And there was that anger again.

  
Barry shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying not to squirm under the scrutiny of the older man. “Well, I didn’t technically know I was pregnant the first month.” He said hesitantly. The Captain raised a distinctly unimpressed eyebrow. “And the second month I was still kinda freaking out about it and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do about it and there wasn’t a lot going on that was really dangerous until that robbery at the museum, and seeing the cold gun and realizing exactly what I could lose snapped me out of my idiocy and I realized I couldn’t be the Flash while I’m pregnant and Caitlin and Cisco stepped up to take over and now the Rogues-” He stopped, realizing exactly what he was saying and to who. “Uh, I mean…”

  
Another sigh. “I have noticed that the Rogues suddenly seemed to switch sides and I was going to ask about it so…” Singh made a gesture with his hand for Barry to continue.

  
“Well, they’ve been helping sir.” He said lamely.

  
“I’ve noticed, I’m just curious as to why the sudden change of heart.” A look passed over his face like something unbelievable suddenly occurred to him. “Unless one them has a personal interest.” He looked down at Barry’s stomach again and Barry felt his face heat up, damn Singh was a good detective. “I’m guessing Snart?” But damn it, he shouldn’t be that good. He could feel the blush on his face get worse.

  
It was one thing for Singh to suspect something might have occurred between him and one of the Rogues, it was another for him to know exactly which Rogue. “Relax Allen, everybody would have to be blind to miss all the flirting the Flash and Captain Cold engaged in whenever they went up against each other. And if all of this has lead to the Rogues not being a nuisance to the department anymore I can’t say I disapprove.”

  
Okay, what? If he didn’t disapprove then that meant he had to approve. Approve? His police Captain approved of his sleeping with the supervillain thief that had given the entire force a run for its money and then broken out of jail once they’d finally caught him? He’d stepped into the twilight zone, or he fell asleep in his lab and he was dreaming, there was no other acceptable explanation. His boss couldn’t just seriously approve of this, what about the law, what about morality and justice? He wanted to ask all of this out loud but when he opened his mouth to try all that came out was an embarrassing squeak.

  
“Look, as long as they’re helping keep the city safe I’m inclined to look the other way on past indiscretions.” He said patiently. “I’ll run interference where I can but most of them do still have warrants out on them, so just tell them to keep doing what their doing and try to get out before we show up. Not like they weren’t plenty good at staying out of cuffs already.”

  
It was said grudgingly and Barry couldn’t help but grin a little, which was good because he felt like breaking into hysterical laughter at the moment. “Yeah, it is nice to have them on our side for a change.”

  
“Just make sure that’s how it stays and everything should be fine.” Barry figured that would be a case of ‘easier said than done’ but didn’t say so. If it turned out the baby wasn’t Len’s he wasn’t sure what that would mean for this new arrangement but he didn’t really want to bring that topic up with Singh so he just nodded at the man. “Good. Now I should have asked this earlier but is this something you’re happy about?” He asked, looking at Barry’s abdomen again.

  
He was pretty sure he was wearing a goofy grin as he rested a hand on his bump and rubbed a small circle with his thumb. “Yes sir. Very happy.”

  
The older man gave him a small smile and the look in his eye was something he could only describe as paternal and he felt a small jolt of guilt that he hadn’t yet informed his father about his condition. He really needed to do that soon, no matter how much he worried that his father wouldn’t react the way Barry wanted him to.

  
“Alright, now we need to talk about what happened with Bennett and Clark.” He prodded, voice still gentle. “From what we all heard it was pretty clear what was going on but a few more details for the report will be necessary.”

  
He sighed, he’d hoped to avoid this, now that his anger had calmed he didn’t want to cause any resentment from the other detectives and he was pretty sure that the culprits had gotten the point but now that the whole precinct had seen him practically break Bennett’s arm while yelling at him and his partner there would have to be a report filed. So, he told Singh everything that happened up till the point he’d released the other man at the top of the stairs.

  
Singh had managed to keep quiet through out his retelling of the incident though his face had become stonier as Barry talked and when he’d finally finished Singh had used some choice words that Barry would be embarrassed to repeat to describe his thoughts of his subordinate’s actions. “Don’t worry about Allen, I’ll take care of it.” It wasn’t so much the words but the tone that conjured up pictures of Bennett and Clark strung up in some medieval torture device even though he knew that was ridiculous.

  
“Now, it’s been a slow day and you look exhausted, go home and get some rest, the rest of your reports can wait until tomorrow.”

  
He was surprised and thought about protesting but he really was tired. “Yes sir.” He said, standing up and pulling his shirt straight from where it had bunched a little at the top of his bump.

  
“And I do mean rest Allen, that’s an order.”

  
“Yes sir.” He said again, and he actually had every intention of following that order, just maybe not at home. He would sleep better at the Lab, knowing he was close enough to help if something were to happen. He ignored the curious looks that he received as he left the Captain’s office and headed up to his lab to grab his things.

  
He was already halfway down the stairs with his coat and messenger bag by the time he gave a thought to how he was going to get to the labs. Iris had picked him up from work all this week but since he was leaving early she wouldn’t be off for another couple of hours. He could call one of the others but then he’d have to wait around for them to get there and he really didn’t want to chance any well-meaning questions from any of the various spectators from the earlier incident. He’d about decided on taking the bus when he caught sight of Joe walking toward him.

  
He just managed to repress the sigh he felt forming, he didn’t want to deal with Joe and his judgement either. “Hey Barr. Are you alright?” Joe asked, stopping just in front of him.

  
“Yeah Joe, I’m fine. The Captain just thought I should take the rest of the day and calm down. Come back fresh tomorrow.”

  
“I’m sorry Barry. You shouldn’t have to deal with assholes like that, especially not here. Apparently, they missed the protect and serve part of the job description, and if Singh doesn’t throw them out on their asses I might just do it for him.” Barry couldn’t help but smile at the threatening growl in Joe’s voice.

  
He missed this, just Joe talking to him. “Its fine Joe, Singh said he’d take care of it. Besides, I don’t know if you noticed but I didn’t exactly need saving.” That got a smile out of the man who’d pretty much raised him.

  
“Yeah, well that display you put on was pretty hard to miss, pretty sure no one here will ever think about giving you a hard time again. But you shouldn’t have had to do that in the first place.”

  
There was both anger and sadness in Joe’s voice. “Yeah, in a perfect world no one would, but the world is far from perfect.”

  
“Right, you going to the Labs tonight?” He nodded as Joe shuffled a little nervously. “Would it be alright if I gave you a ride?” He wasn’t used to hearing such hesitation from Joe. He hoped Joe wanted to patch things up and move on but he wasn’t sure this wasn’t just a trick to get him alone and try to convince him of the error of his ways or whatever.

  
He saw Eddie across the room, his face openly concerned and fully prepared to come and intervene on his behalf if need be. He smiled and shook his head slightly, he needed saving from Joe even less than he’d needed saving from Bennett. “Sure. A ride would be good.” He said, looking back at his foster father. He hadn’t realized just how tense the other man was until all the tension had drained away.

  
They were silent on their way down to Joe’s car and for the first five minutes of the drive and Barry was starting to wonder if he should broach the topic first when Joe finally started broke the silence. “I’m sorry.” He said, the words almost sounding as if they’d been punched out of him. “I know it’s not enough, I didn’t even act like a decent human being let alone a decent father, but I want you to know that I really am sorry. Been trying to figure out a way to talk to you for the last week, but nothing I could think of would make up for it.” He finished his speech with a drawn-out sigh.

  
“Joe, its okay. I knew you weren’t going to take it well, hell I didn’t expect anybody to take it well.” His friends had taken the news a lot better than he’d been expecting and things had worked out a lot better than he’d dared to hope for. “I just don’t want you to blame Len for any of this.” He saw the way Joe stiffened at the thief’s name but then made a conscious effort to relax. “He didn’t take advantage of me Joe, in fact, he was pretty horrified that I’d be out at a bar during my heat when I could be in crippling pain at any moment.”

  
He was picking at a loose thread on the seat of the car to avoid looking at his foster father but he heard the sharp intake of his breath. “I just couldn’t go through the pain again like that and he was… sweet and concerned.” He chuckled, wondering what the city would think if they’d seen the _cold_ villain taking such care of his nemesis.

  
“I care about him Joe, more than I should have. And after what happened between us I knew it was even more than I had thought. So, I did what I’m good at and ran away from it and tried to get over my feelings by sleeping with Oliver and that certainly didn’t work.”

  
“Oliver too?” He finally looked over at Joe, there hadn’t been any anger in the question, just resignation.

  
“Uh, yeah. But like I said it was just because I was trying to run away from my feelings for Len.” He said, dropping his gaze back to the loose thread he’d made worse.

  
“So, when you said you didn’t know who the father was you weren’t just trying to protect Snart from a well-aimed bullet?” He asked, but surprisingly there wasn’t any malice in the question, it actually sounded almost like teasing.

  
“Um, no. That part was true. I still don’t know who’s it is. Cisco and Len have been handling the news better than Oliver at least.” He muttered softly. He was starting to get really concerned about Oliver’s disappearing act, he’d given him an out but Oliver had claimed he didn’t want it so why the ghost routine?  
“Cisco too?” Joe said, startling him out of his private reverie.

  
“Yeah, Cisco was kind of the first.” He figured of the three of them that Joe would be most, well not pleased exactly, but at least understanding about Cisco, but he couldn’t guarantee it. “He was just trying to help, be a good friend. He didn’t like the idea of me being in pain if there was any way to stop it.” He realized his voice had taken on a note of pleading, hoping for understanding. “It’s not any of their faults, if its anybody’s fault its mine.”

  
“Barr.” Joe cut in softly. “There is no fault here. Except maybe mine for acting like an overprotective idiot and not being there for you when you needed me.”

Another deep sigh. “Look, I’ve handled all this badly and I just want to say I’m sorry and from now on I’ll try to be supportive and not let my feelings about certain individuals come between us. I can’t promise that everything is going to be as easy as forgive and forget between me and the Rogues but I promise that I’ll try not to shoot any of them unless they really deserve it.”

  
A helpless giggle escaped him at Joe’s words and he was almost overwhelmed with relief that everything was going to be okay. “They really have been a big help, both out in the city and in the lab once we all got past weirdness of working together. Len’s been really great what with keeping the Rogues on the strait and narrow and helping Cisco revamp the security around the Lab. He really is trying.”

  
“Yeah,” Joe said warily, “by all appearances the Rogues have turned over a new leaf, my only fear is what happens if the baby isn’t his. It didn’t escape my notice that he made a pretty clear claim on it, but what if its not his, do we go back to the way things were before?”

  
He wished he could say that wasn’t a fear of his own, if it weren’t for the uncertainty of that question he would have thrown all caution to the wind and dragged Len straight to the nearest bed. “I don’t know Joe, I hope not, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

  
This time their sighs overlapped as Joe pulled into the Lab parking lot. “Just be careful Barr. I’m always gonna worry about you even if you are a grown man who can protect himself and the rest of the city. That’s what being a parent means.”

  
Barry smiled as he ran a hand over his bump again, a smile pulling at his lips. “I know Joe, this baby isn’t even here yet and I’d already kill to protect it. Never thought I could love anything as much as I love it.” Crap he was going to start crying again. “Thank you, for being a dad to me Joe.” He choked out as the first tears started falling.

  
“Hey, raising you, loving you, that’s been one of the greatest joys of my life.” Joe said, pulling him into an awkward hug across the center console of the car. “I’m so proud of the man you’ve become and no matter what I’m always gonna love you.” He cried harder into Joe’s shoulder, but this time he didn’t resent the tears, they were a release of the stress and tension that had gripped him for the last few months and now he knew that things were going to be alright no matter how they turned out. As his crying slowed Joe rubbed his shoulder gently. “Alright, let’s get you inside and see what your new team is up to.”

  
It had been surreal, walking into the Lab after everything that had happened that day. He and Joe had heard voices from the cortex as they walked steadily. “No, that can’t be right.” They heard Cisco say, disbelief evident in his tone.

  
“I assure you that it is.” Hartley replied. “Look it up if you don’t believe me.” Hartley’s voice sounded somehow both bored and teasing at the same time. “I’m telling you, the plural of cul-de-sac is culs-de-sac.”

  
“But _why_ , that’s what I don’t get. No one would ever say that. If you had to use the plural of cul-de-sac any normal person would just say cul-de-sacs. Culs-de-sac just sounds pretentious.”

  
Barry couldn’t help but smile at the impassioned way Cisco spoke even about something as mundane as a plural that no one ever really used. “I don’t know why you’re yelling at me, it’s not like I made it up.” Hartley grumbled.

  
“Alright children, as riveting as this inane discussion has been we still have work to do.” The sound of Len’s voice sent a pleasant thrill through him and he had to fight the urge to speed up and reach the cortex faster.

  
He thought it might not be a bad idea to see if there was anyway they could soundproof the room so that their conversations wouldn’t drift down the hallway. _Something to bring up later_. He thought as he and Joe reached the entrance and found the three men inside huddled around Cisco’s computer, going over building plans.

  
Len was the first to notice their arrival and looked up at them sharply. Surprise was quickly replaced with concern as he stood and made directly for Barry’s side. He belatedly realized he must look quite a sight, he was probably still rumpled from earlier and he hadn’t even bothered to wipe his eyes after his little sob-fest in the car and it wasn’t difficult to see the conclusions not just Len seemed to be drawing about Joe’s presence at his side. “Are you okay?” Len asked, placing a hand at the spot where his neck met his shoulder. “I thought you didn’t get off work until five today.” He continued, giving Joe a glare.

  
“I had a bit of an altercation at work and Singh told me to take the rest of the day.” He said, reveling in the contact of Len’s hand on him, not thinking about how that would sound until he saw Len’s glare intensify and Cisco and Hartley both joined in. “A couple of Detectives needed to learn a lesson and after I talked to Singh Joe offered me a ride.” He hoped to head off any further altercations before they could start, he really didn’t have the energy for it now.

  
“But you’re okay?” Len asked again, hand running from his shoulder down his arm and unfortunately right over the spot where Berrett had grabbed his arm. He couldn’t hide his wince as a sting of pain flared in the tender spot. He was sure it was just bruised and would be healed in a few hours. “Barry?” Oh, there was no way out of this now.

  
“It’s just a bruise, it’ll be fine in few hours.” He said, halfway resigned to his fate but still hoping to avoid the hovering concern that was sure to follow.

  
“Hart go get Caitlin.” Len ordered and then put a hand at the small of Barry’s back and gently directed him to start moving. “And you, into the med bay.” He didn’t even bother protesting, the Alpha was already in ‘mother hen mode’ and would not be denied.

  
He was vaguely aware of Joe and Cisco following as Len guided him into the med bay and helped him out of his jacket and sweater, leaving him in a plain white t-shirt. The sound of Len’s low growl startled him slightly as he looked down at his revealed bicep, just under the edge of the sleeve. Damn, the bruises were obviously caused by fingertips digging in, still a dark purple despite the time elapsed since it had actually happened.

  
“If Singh doesn’t throw those two out on their asses then they’re definitely gonna turn up missing.” Joe’s growl was almost as severe as Len’s.

  
“Who, and less importantly why?” Len asked, rage barely contained in his voice, though the hand ghosting along his arm was incredibly gentle.

  
Barry sighed and closed his eyes, the dull pain behind his eyes coming back. “It doesn’t matter who or why because I already took care of it. I am not some damsel in distress that needs to be rescued, damn it.” He said heatedly. He loved that they cared about him but he didn’t want them treating him like he was helpless.

  
“You’re right Barr. You took care of them and you made sure the whole precinct knew not to make the same mistake they did.” Joe said, smiling at him proudly. Caitlin and Hartley walked in before any more could be said and while Caitlin swooped in and looked at his arm the others left the room but stayed within sight. He watched Joe start talking as Caitlin began questioning him though he wasn’t really paying attention to what she was asking.

  
His mind drifted along until he saw Joe stick out a hand and Len grasped it after only a moments hesitation. “Never thought I’d see that happen.” Caitlin said, touching his arm gently. “Its good though, if they can put their differences behind them.” She smiled softly. “Now why don’t you get some rest, you look exhausted. I’ll make sure everything out there stays friendly.” He nodded tiredly and moved to lay back against the bed, all the adrenaline from the day finally leaching away and dragging him into sleep almost immediately.

 

* * * * *

 

It had been a long day. Nothing monumental had happened, unless you wanted to count Oliver’s miraculous reappearance this morning. It had been three weeks since the confrontation at the precinct and he’d spent a considerable amount of time trying to keep the Rogues from hunting down Detectives Bennett and Clark and doing god only knows what to them.

  
Singh had already taken care of it but according to everyone else, Len especially, suspension without pay and sexual harassment charges that would most likely result in the end of their careers weren’t a harsh enough punishment. Barry was pretty sure Len would consider torture and dismemberment not enough either. Surprisingly, Joe hadn’t been the voice of reason that Barry had expected and had almost seemed to be actively encouraging the groups violent tendencies and leaving it to Barry to divert.

  
He’d finally managed about a week after the incident, but not without yelling. “Look, Singh agreed to run interference between you and the police but he’s not going to do that if you go and murder a couple of cops trying to defend my honor, which, need I remind you I already did for myself thank you very much.”

  
They’d seemed surprised that Singh would be so willing to look the other way where they were concerned and Joe had wondered how Barry had even known that and then came the discussion about Singh knowing from the beginning that he was the Flash and more jokes about his not-so-secret-secret-identity.

  
Things had settled after that, Joe was back to being Joe, though he was making an effort to get along with the Rogues, especially Len, though Joe and Mardon were still wary of one another. At work people were either careful around him or outright glowing with pride, he got the impression that he wasn’t the only one that had been on the receiving end of Bennett’s unwanted attention. Mostly he just did his work and tried to ignore the not-so-subtle looks cast his way and looked over the files Singh sent him for potential replacements.

  
He didn’t want to think of it that way, and Singh sure didn’t approach it that way, but there was still a feeling of being replaced if it would only be temporary. He was having trouble looking at any of the candidates without feeling a wave of irrational jealousy that he was steadfastly attributing to overactive hormones. But he was going to have to make a decision soon, they were going to have to have a couple of months to get his ‘temporary replacement’ used to things before he had to go on leave. And some how in the last three weeks he’d gotten big enough that people were definitely starting to notice his condition.

  
Cait said it was normal, some people wouldn’t show at all and then almost over night it was like an explosion. Not her exact words of course but how he understood it. He’d noticed the way Len began to look at his stomach more as it became more visible and had to repress a delicious shiver every time, that look of longing directed at him could make him weak in the knees so easily.

  
He had started to let his guard down a little more, wondering what it would be like if he knew it was Len’s and there was no chance that he’d run away if he found out it wasn’t after it was born. They’d started a tentative flirtation over the last week or so, it was almost like it used to be back when they were enemies, without any of the hostility anyway, the bantering light and playful with just a hint of sexual undertone.

  
Every day it became easier and easier to imagine Len here permanently, and as he imagined it he let himself imagine more. Like what it would be like to actually be with Len, and their baby, actually be a family. He couldn’t even describe how much he wanted that picture to be a reality.

  
But then the thought would creep in that it would only happen that way if the baby was indeed Len’s. He didn’t want to risk his heart getting any more involved if he couldn’t have that picture in the end, it would just be too devastating. So, he flirted and bantered but he just couldn’t bring himself to take that next step and he could see the frustration in Len’s eyes whenever he pulled back onto safe and solid ground and he knew he wasn’t being fair to Len but he didn’t know how to move forward or go back to how things had been.

  
Then this morning, his first day of the weekend off, and Oliver had shown up at the lab like he hadn’t just vanished in the last several weeks with barely a word of acknowledgement. Barry had read between the lines and figured out that there was something going on with his team but he hadn’t gotten Oliver to reveal what or who the problem was yet.

  
Even being in the same building Oliver had managed to avoid him fairly well, at least in part due to the fact that Barry was not feeling up to chasing the man around the cortex until he could finally pin him down.

  
He’d been extra tired all morning and he felt heavy and lethargic and he had a twinge in his back that was starting to irritate him. Though not as much as the three Alphas arguing loudly across the room. They’d been at it for at least forty-five minutes by this point, and he’d given up and sat down thirty minutes ago.

  
He’d heard the sound of raised voices as he walked toward the cortex, passing a snickering Lisa on the way and walking in to see both Len and Oliver arguing heatedly with a frazzled looking Cisco. Len’s arms were crossed and he was a lot quieter than Oliver was being but his face had that dangerous edge that told Barry he was just as pissed. Cisco looked angry and exasperated and was waving his arms around dramatically as Oliver practically bellowed and made sharp gestures with his arms.

  
Barry noticed the scrap of blue and silver in Oliver’s hand as he flung his arm out theatrically and he finally realized what had started all this. They’d found the straps. Damn. He had been hoping not to have to have this conversation for at least another few months. Oh well.

  
“Guys.” He said loudly, walking further into the room. Three sets of eyes locked onto him and he shook his head, seeing the mix of guilt and anger and fear from them individually. “I’d appreciate it if you would stop haranguing Cisco for doing his job and making a spectacle of yourselves in the process.” He said pinning Len and Oliver with a look.

  
“Did you know about this?” Oliver asked, holding up the dark blue strap with a silver buckle.

  
“Yes Oliver, I knew about it. It was my idea.” He deliberately kept his voice soft and calm in the hopes the others would do the same, his head fervently wished for some peace and quiet and no more yelling.

  
Oliver’s eyes narrowed and Len grimaced while Cisco looked down guiltily. “Look, I would love it if everything went according to plan and I could deliver this baby without any problems, but if something goes wrong and Cait has to do a C-section then we need to be prepared. With my powers they can’t just give me medication, my body would burn it off too fast, so they need some way to keep me still so Cait can get the baby out.” He said tiredly, nodding at the strap Oliver held accusingly. “It’s either that or every body tries to hold me down which seems neither feasible or pleasant.”

  
They’d argued for another ten minutes, mostly Oliver and Len making suggestions that had already been thought of and discarded for one reason or another until he finally got fed up and sat down in Cisco’s computer chair.

  
He felt a little bad for leaving it to Cisco to deal with the other two Alphas and their stubborn refusal to just accept that the straps were their best plan but he just didn’t have the energy today. His head was pounding and he had a twinging pain in his back that was growing worse by the minute. He’d thought about getting up to go see Caitlin for at least the last twenty minutes but he couldn’t work up the energy to actually do so.

  
Figures that the one time he could use a few of his self-appointed babysitters to do something helpful, like get him to the med bay and find Caitlin, and half of them were arguing over something inconsequential and the other half had vanished, most likely to get away from the aforementioned arguing.

  
He laid one arm down on the desk and then dropped his head down on it, hoping that whatever weird pregnancy symptom he was experiencing would pass when he heard the click of heels coming down the hall.

  
At this time of day, it was either Lisa or Caitlin and either way he figured he’d be saved. If nothing else Lisa could break up the argument between the idiot Alphas in the room. On top of everything else his stomach was starting to hurt, it was starting to get ridiculous how much more he now had to eat just to keep his stomach from trying to digest itself. He tilted his head so he could look at whoever was approaching when he heard the footsteps get closer and sent up a silent ‘thank you’ that it was Caitlin.

  
“Barry, are you alright?” By the note of concern her voice he guessed that he looked about how he felt.

  
“No, I feel like shit and the three of them are not making it any better.” He said, not lifting his head from his arm and giving her a pleading look.

  
“Alright,” she said eyeing the three idiot Alphas with nothing short of disdain, “let’s get you to the med bay and I’ll get you settled and have Lisa deal with the three of them, maybe get Iris in there as backup.” She added, rubbing soothing circles into his back.

  
Barry sighed gratefully, unaccountably pleased that he wouldn’t have to deal with it anymore. “This is why you’re my favorite.” He said feelingly and she smiled happily.

  
She put a hand under his arm and put the slightest bit of pressure. “I’ll remind you, you said that the next time I have to set one of your bones, for now let’s get you up and you can rest on your bed.” Barry sincerely wished he didn’t have to stand or walk but he was pretty sure that Caitlin couldn’t carry him and the only ones in the room who were capable were too busy making asses of themselves.

  
With a great deal of effort, he managed to force himself up from the chair by holding on to the edge of table which was fortunate because the next second a wave of pain ripped through his stomach and knocked the air from his lungs. It felt like someone was trying to tear through his internal organs with a dull knife and putting a hand to the outside of his stomach did nothing whatsoever to help. He was vaguely aware that he was moaning and gasping and that Caitlin was trying to ask him what was happening but he couldn’t spare breath it would take to answer her.

  
The pain didn’t lesson so much as change a moment later, it went from ripping and tearing to feeling like his organs were in a vise-like clamp, squeezing and retracting from one second to the next. He tried to catch to a breath to tell Caitlin what it felt like and turned his head only to catch sight of the chair he’d vacated and the dark red stain that hadn’t been there when he sat down and he froze in absolute mind-numbing terror.

  
Oh god, he was losing the baby, that’s what the pain was. He was miscarrying. Ohgodohgodohgod. What had he done? Why was this happening? Oh god. “Caitlin.” He couldn’t even get her name out without ending on a broken sob. The ripping pain hit again and he couldn’t catch his breath.

  
He was aware in a detached sort of way that there were more voices and that he was being lifted into someone’s arms though he had no idea who, and after a few seconds realized that the pitiful moans he was hearing were coming from him.

  
By the time he was laid down on the medical bed the pain was back to the cramping, vise pain again and there was a flurry of activity all around him. “Scarlet, I need you to calm down and breathe, can you do that for me?” _Len_. Len was holding his hand and running fingers through his hair and asking him to breathe, he could do that. He could do that for Len. He drew in a tight breath and had to fight the constriction around his chest that felt like a four-hundred-pound Sumo Wrestler was sitting on. “Good Scarlet, take another breath.”

  
The pain was still wreaking havoc on his insides but Len was here and Len wanted him to take a breath so he did, drawing air deep into his lungs and holding it there for a few seconds before he let it out again. “Good, now you just keep breathing in and out for me, just like that.” He didn’t think he’d ever heard that particular tone from Len before, soft and reassuring with something else he didn’t even know how to name.

  
As he took another breath his mind started to catch back up and he didn’t succeed in holding back a sob. “Len, the baby?” His throat was scratchy and raw like he’d been crying and he suddenly became aware of the tears running down his face.

  
“Shh, Caitlin’s gonna check everything out, you just need to keep breathing and stay calm for me, all right.” He said, placing a gentle kiss at Barry’s temple and then continued running his fingers through Barry’s hair.

  
“H-hurts.” He croaked, trying to place his free hand on his stomach only for someone else to grab it and start rubbing circles into the back of it. After a moment he realized it was Oliver who was standing on his other side.

  
Len leaned down and placed his forehead to Barry’s temple. “I know love, just try to breathe through it, Caitlin’s setting up the new ultrasound machine now but you’re gonna have to be still so she can see what’s going on.” Barry let the soothing tone of Len’s voice wash over him, calming him somewhat as Caitlin rolled over the new machine.

  
He had forgotten that Cisco and Hartley had made the new ultrasound machine and declared it safe and operational a few days ago. They’d cannibalized an old x-ray machine so it fit over his whole torso but they had assured him that there would be none of the harmful effects of any x-ray radiation on the baby. Really it was just a much larger and more advanced form of ultrasound. Hartley had been quite pleased with the results and said the pictures they could get would be even more detailed than a 3D ultrasound.

  
He didn’t pay attention to the science jargon about sonic and sound waves and he didn’t particularly care now. All he cared about now was whether the baby was alright. He couldn’t stop the feeling like he had failed somehow, done something that had hurt the baby and now he was miscarrying. But he had been so careful, he hardly used his powers at all anymore and he’d followed Cait’s instructions, he couldn’t think of anything he could have done to cause this.

  
But then there was always the chance that it was just his stupid Meta body, it had fucked up his heat so that it was nearly unbearable, it wasn’t so hard to believe that it would decide it was just incapable of carrying the baby anymore.

  
He wanted to scream and possibly punch something. How dare his stupid Meta body give him something that he wanted so badly just to take it away again? He’d had never felt so betrayed in his life. Not when the justice system had failed his dad so horribly and cost him fifteen years of his life, not even when he had found out that Wells was the Reverse Flash and had killed his mother then insinuated himself into Barry’s life as a mentor and friend. He hadn’t thought it would be possible to top that betrayal and yet somehow the universe had found a way.

  
“Alright Barry, just lay flat and try to stay still.” Caitlin said gently, pushing his shirt up out of the way and pulling the machine closer. The base of the machine looked like a small podium with a screen and buttons built into the top and then a long mechanical “arm” extended from the front. The arm stuck up about six inches from the top and then bent at an angle that could be adjusted and attached to the end of that was a wide box shaped piece of metal that really only had three sides. When it settled over him the two long ends of the box touched the bed on either side of him and the short ends touched just below his sternum and just above his groin, the whole box encasing his entire stomach inside.

  
He noticed the seam running through the center of the short side in front of him and figured they had built it so that it would extend as his belly grew. _If it grew_. He took a shuddery breath at that thought and gripped the hands holding his own tighter, receiving a squeeze from both Oliver and Len.

  
He was struck a moment later by how quiet it was when the ultrasound machine turned on with a quiet hum and Caitlin started tapping a few buttons on the podium next to the screen and before he could ask anything the sound of a swishy heartbeat echoed around the room. He had come to love sound of the baby’s heartbeat on the other ultrasound machine and he latched onto this one like it was a life line. Which technically it was.

  
There was a heartbeat, the baby was still alive in there, still had a heartbeat. He couldn’t focus on anything but that small miracle for the next few minutes until the sound changed, still a swishy heartbeat but different, followed by startled gasp from Caitlin. “What?” He demanded urgently. “What is it Cait? Is the baby okay, is there something wrong with it?”

  
He watched as her eyes went from wide and astonished to a sort of frowny determination. “Just hold on one second Barry, I have to check something.” She might as well have told him to grow wings and fly for how impossible he found it to wait.

  
He had complained quite loudly about how uncomfortable it was to have the old ultrasound wand jabbed into his stomach and realized that now that he had traded that for his ability to see the screen of the new one. He wasn’t sure which was worse, but right now he’d give anything to see the little flickering movement that accompanied the baby’s heartbeat, he could still hear it of course but something sounded off.

  
“Barry how’s the pain?” Cait asked, almost conversationally and he realized that the pain had subsided to more of just a dull ache, the way it felt hours after you’d had a horrible cramp, annoying and uncomfortable but not nearly as bad as it was.

  
“Better.” He said and felt the soft touch of Len’s lips at his temple again. “Will you please tell me if the baby is alright.”

  
She turned away from the monitor and gave him a smile and he felt all of his muscles relax as the worst of his fear and panic subsided. “Yes, and we really are lucky that Cisco and Hartley had this machine ready or I don’t think I would have been able to tell what was going on. The level of detail on this thing is amazing.” He felt a small pat on his ankle and looked to see Cisco who had apparently been standing at the foot of his bed the whole time.

  
“So, what happened?” Cisco asked, voice a little raspy like he’d been crying.

  
“It was a partial placental abruption, basically one of the placentas became slightly detached from the uterine wall, that’s why you were in pain and the reason for the blood. But it looks like your body’s healing ability has already started reattaching it, I’m going to monitor you closely for the next twenty-four hours and hopefully there won’t be any more problems.” She said gently. “However, you are going to have to take it easy for at least a few days, you lost a good bit of blood and since we don’t know exactly what caused this I’d like to be extra cautious and try to avoid it happening again.”

  
Barry was in complete agreement, he never wanted to go through anything like this ever again if it could be avoided. “Whatever you say.” He said fervently. “The baby’s gonna be okay, though right?” He didn’t know a whole lot about the process involved but he did know that the placenta was how the baby got blood, oxygen and nutrients.

  
The smile Cait gave him could have blinded someone. “There were a few signs of fetal distress, but now that the problem is being healed by your body chemistry everything seems to be going back to normal.” The smile turned a bit mischievous and he felt a small niggling of worry, but not in a panic inducing way like the last thirty minutes had caused. “ _They_ are _both_ doing just fine.”

  
Startled gasps and exclamations sounded throughout the room and Caitlin giggled, honest to god giggled. “I don’t know if the baby moved because of the placenta becoming detached or if its just the fact that this ultrasound machine is so much more detailed than the other, but there are definitely two babies in there.” She said, waving a hand at Barry’s midsection. “Either way, she certainly was doing a good job of hiding behind her brother.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, twins! I just couldn't resist giving Barry double the trouble. And that also meant I didn't have to decide whether he got a girl or a boy, now he gets to have both. And those of you thinking 'shouldn't they have found that earlier on?' its not entirely uncommon for the second baby to stay hidden for quite some time. At this point Barry is about sixteen weeks and I've known two women who had twins who weren't discovered until after twenty weeks. So, not unheard of.
> 
> Now if you did not read the last part all you really missed was Oliver's reappearance though he wasn't as present as he should have been and really only contributed by yelling at Cisco over the straps he made in case Barry might have to have a C-section. Neither Oliver or Len were amused. The scare part came in the form of a partial placental abruption which can case severe pain and bleeding and can be very dangerous for both mother and baby. Normally at the very least mom would be put on bed rest. This usually doesn't occur until around the third trimester but it can happen earlier. My aunt had this happen around week twenty-one and was on bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy. But I decided to take it easier on Barry and had his body's healing ability start taking care of it, though I do sense some time in bed in his future. *wink,wink*
> 
> So as always, thank you all for reading and feel free to let me know what you think in the comments.

**Author's Note:**

> Whew. Do you need a shower, cause I think I need a shower.  
> So, I feel I should explain my thought process a little regarding Barry's heat, because generally the only thing you see in an Omegaverse Fic is an increase in horniness. But since I'm the one writing this Fic I decided that I can do what I want, and the rules of nature be damned. I was mostly kinda equating his heat more with menstruation. I know they aren't really the same thing, but I have this particular problem myself and I couldn't resist torturing someone else with it. While his symptoms are a little more severe the basic principal is the same.  
> I'm already a few chapters ahead, so hopefully I can get up a new chapter fairly quickly.  
> And kudos and comments would totally make my day, so don't be shy, I probably wont bite.


End file.
